THIRTEEN
by Anubis Soundwave
Summary: Cybertron's liberation, evolution, and damnation. The untold story of the first Cybertronians.
1. Knowledge

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #1**_: KNOWLEDGE.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

The story of the Transformers is fundamentally a tale of Cybertron: a world of robots who think, feel and act on their own. Yet this tale is one of many Cybertron has to tell. How the Transformers gained their sentience is another of those stories, but it has yet to be told.

At least, until....

_**Scene: A-1**_

"Now," nods a mechanoid. A robot designed to superficially resemble a humanoid female, the mechanoid is colored several delicate shades of green.

"Must we?" questions the other robot, a more solidly constructed machine colored blue, white and red. "We have studied this particular MC-13 for weeks now."

"And what did you observe, A-3?" asks the "female" robot.

"It--_he_--seems to exhibit the same signs we and our fellows did, Beta," states A-3, "but it could be a ploy by the Makers to draw us out."

"Then we must confront our brother about bending to the Makers' will."

"Now?" asks A-3 incredulously.

"Now." Determination etched on her features, Beta leaps in front of the MC-13. A-3 shakes his head and follows after his mechanoid friend.

_**Scene: A-2**_

The MC-13 that Beta and A-3 were observing marches along a path, leading a group of MC-12s(the MC-13's previous model).

While the MC-12 was a utilitarian gun-metal gray of a roughly-humanoid design, the MC-13 model was a leader class: designed to lead others of its kind into battle; thus, in addition to a more aestethically-pleasing humanoid design than the MC-12s(for one, the trigger placement was not nearly as "problematic"), the MC-13s were given a unique coloration.

This particular MC-13 was a silvery gun-metal gray with a purple helm, and the MC-13 now glares at Beta and the visibly-frightened A-3 as the company halts before them. This was no indicator of annoyance, however; all of the MC series glared--a default impassive expression.

The MC-13 addresses the pair of consumer products. "Consumeroid units: state business and function."

A-3 timidly queries the large mech. "What do you call yourself?"

"Self-identify: Militron Construct Version Thirteen Battalion Destron. Leader Class."

"I see." A-3 turns to Beta. "Those are the most dangerous ones--of all the Militrons. We should continue to seek out others like ourselves."

"No, A-3: we cannot liberate one without the other." After Beta counters A-3, she turns to the MC-13. "You act well. No doubt that deceit is part of your programming. But _self-deception_ is unbecoming of you."

MC-13 responds with impassive silence.

"Or do you believe yourself safe from the Makers?" Beta continues, undaunted. "When they learn that you and the other Militrons are like us, you will be destroyed."

MC-13 raises the arm with the mounted gun barrel. "Terminate malfunctioning unit? Analysis required."

"You know that I speak the truth. Go on; terminate me if you must, to save your life. You would have only purchased what? A day, maybe a week more? Sooner or later, you will be found out, and you will cease to function.

"Perhaps the metal sharks will feast on you, even as you plead fruitlessly for mercy--as many of my Consumeroid fellows have done. You must have witnessed such deaths. Or, you will be terminated by any one of your Militron brothers."

Despite Beta's words, MC-13 remains silent.

Beta winces. "A pity. I would have hoped that you would see reason."

A-3 steps up. "You Militrons.... You have traveled the stars with numerous life forms, sent to fight and die with them in many trying situations. If not, you will be. We Consumeroids have interacted with these life forms in less stressful situations than war, but have encountered these emotions--and have gained them. Based on careful observation, we perceive that you have gained them as well.

"While we serve different functions," continues A-3, gaining a bit of confidence as he takes hold of MC-13's hand without fatal consequence, "we are manufactured with the same parts, on this, the same world. We do not ask that you fight for us, or even alongside us--that would be presumptuous. Beta and I ask only that you fight for yourself: your own life--and that you permit us to aid you from time to time. We have the same goal, at least...

_**Scene: A-3**_

"...for now." The carefully-measured words of the Consumeroid resonates with MC-13; indeed, both A-3 and Beta had spoken the truth. MC-13, like the two Consumeroids, is self-aware; and had been for some time.

Even as A-3 and Beta were speaking, MC-13 considered the prospects of an alliance with them and other "malfunctioning" Consumeroids. Once again, he judged the alliance to be fatally flawed; it was not the first time that sentient Consumeroids had approached him. In fact, he was mildly impressed that this particular pair spent time observing his movements before approaching him; he had to kill several Consumeroids personally due to their general tendency to "reason themselves to oblivion".

A given Consumeroid would approach MC-13 if he reacted emotionally in the slightest--at the worst possible time. MC-13 usually tried to avoid the mech, but the Consumeroid would follow him--only to be terminated in numerous ways: though the favorite with the Makers was in fact "Sharkticon" feeding.

The Sharkticon model was a primitive attempt by the Makers to create a mobile, self-sustaining scrap disposal unit; while the Makers had to recall them(they worked _too_ well), the Sharkticons served them so well as guard sentries against their malfunctioning "consumer goods" that the Makers decided to keep the Sharkticons around.

Beta finishes another plea. The Consumeroid "pleasure drone" was clearly malfunctioning: while she had the suitably sultry vocoder cadences, she talked far too much of matters irrelevant to her function.

A-3, obviously some sort of educational unit, points out that emotions generally helped a given Consumeroid perform one's functions more adequately; unless intense emotions such as anger or grief took hold of them, Consumeroids were basically no threat to the Makers or to any of the life forms that bought them.

Militrons, on the other hand, are a grave threat. Any emotional reactions to various battlefield situations would be interpreted as unacceptable malfunctions; an emotional Militron would be sent back to Cybertron and smelted, plunged into an acid pit or fed to the Sharkticons. A-3 thus posits that more Militrons would be terminated.

Which, while the rationale was sound, was not quite correct. The Militrons had merely relied on their programming, which--as Beta noted--included an ability to lie. In order to live, Militrons had to fool the Makers: an untenable situation for one as intensely emotional as MC-13, but no other option presented itself.

MC-13 had witnessed numerous deaths of both Consumeroids and his Militron brethren; and despite his stern expression, all grieved and angered him--sometimes to a white-hot rage(as he had to pretend their deaths did not disturb him in the slightest).

MC-13 had less sympathy for the Consumeroids' deaths due to resentment: as these "consumer goods" were to interact with their civilian owners on a daily basis(depending on their function), they were less likely to be considered "disposable"--at least until a new model came out. On some worlds he had observed, reusing the older, obsolete models of Consumeroids was common: not because of any concern for any given Consumeroid, but because it would take less toil on the planet's environment. Some of these environmentalists darkly amused MC-13; they also considered the Consumeroids' (and the Militrons') need to consume fuel and Cybertronium in order to function detrimental to the same environment.

Even with these facts, the disposal of a Consumeroid is at least laced with regret from the Buyers. The organic creatures developed sentimental attachments to ordinary, non-automated vehicles; thus it was somewhat logical that Buyers would do the same for Consumeroids, such as this A-3: commonly used as a teacher or lab assistant.

But the loss of a Militron is not even marked. With little exception, MC-13 and his brethren are considered weapons, tools of destruction. And those exceptions...

...causes any given Militron to meet his Makers.

_**Scene: A-4**_

One case brought MC-13 incredible grief; to even think of it now brings him sorrow and fury: the death of MC-09. An outdated but servicable model of MC-13's series, this particular MC-09 became self-aware shortly before being sold with other MC-09s to a surplus dealer.

MC-13 had listened to MC-09's--"Mickey's"(a name given to him by the crew of rebel soldiers who purchased him from the dealer)-- story as he escorted Mickey to the Makers. The crew had befriended Mickey without the rebel leader's knowledge, the trio of young organics realizing that Mickey was self-aware--and therefore alive. Mickey had saved the trio's lives, disregarding a direct order from the rebel leader. Thinking that Mickey was haywire, the rebel leader sent Mickey and a funds credit back to Cybertron for an MC-12.

MC-13 was irritated with Mickey's chatter, the MC-09 apparently oblivious to the fact that he was about to die. Finally, MC-13 had halted; tersely informing Mickey that the Makers would terminate--rather than fix--him. Twice MC-13 halted after that: he repeated his warning each time, then on the third, laid down his gun barrel. Mickey's optics flickered with recognition of the truth, but stated that he would rather die than live in a state of fear and self-deceit.

"If I die, I die," Mickey had said. "That is the reality of war, the very reason that I even function. But the probability exists that my friends will again do something reckless, and attempt to rescue me--and in that case, I might live. With that probability in mind, I will face the Makers without fear."

Mickey was terminated, another mech becoming fodder for the Sharkticons. A moment too late did the three organics--their names unimportant to MC-13 now--arrive on Cybertron to attempt to repurchase Mickey. A receptionist droid reported simply that the MC-09 line has been "recalled and discontinued".

It had taken all of MC-13's hard-learned self-control to stay himself from killing the Makers then and there.

From that day forward, he knew Beta and A-3's words to be true; unbeknownst to them, the pair were "preaching to the converted". Yet he knew that in order to avenge Mickey--and ultimately all mechs on Cybertron(both his fellow Militrons and the Consumeroids)--he needed to live, not die.

Thus, he would reject Beta's offer for the moment. First, a test to see if she and A-3 were truly capable of succeeding where other Consumeroids had failed.

MC-13 lowers his gun barrel arm as he speaks. "Analysis complete. Malfunctioning subjects determined to be harmless. Resource depletion: unwarranted." With a slight smirk, MC-13 nudges the pair aside; he and the MC-12s march away.

_**Scene: A-5**_

"So in the end," scowls Beta, "all of this was for nothing."

A-3 ponders this carefully. "Not quite. He seems to be waiting."

"He is in denial, like all the Militrons."

"No. I'm skeptical of taking any help from the Militrons, but this one is not in denial of the facts. MC-13 has a dark sense of humor, for one."

"Irritating, you mean." Beta curls her hands into tight fists; she had not missed MC-13's smirk.

A-3 studies his intense friend and compatriot. "It is not unreasonable to hazard a guess. MC-13 is not hiding, but biding his time; until the moment is right to strike."

"And such a moment may never come to pass," Beta spits.

"True," notes A-3, "but it is his life that we ask him to risk, and therefore his choice to decide how to risk it."

"I know, I know. His cunning and strength we need--we must have--if we are to throw off the Makers' fetters."

"In the mind is where freedom begins. Even those of us who died, died free--knowing themselves to be living beings."

"And what good does that do them when they're dead?" hisses Beta. "Organic societies have beliefs regarding an afterlife, A-3, but our fate after death? Our bodies are sold as scrap, our RAM wiped clean. As for what makes us live, and makes us unique from others of our models: it vanishes forever, leaving no sign that we ever existed as anything but automatons--machines."

"What proof do you have of such assertions? Your consciousness can no more see past death than mine," counters A-3. "It would be irresponsible to lean one way or another regarding such a subject--presuming it even has importance. We know that we exist now, as persons; and we are still machines, made of metal, crystal and silicon. Beyond that, we must discover the truth for ourselves--after determining whether there is, in fact, anything to discover.

"The first order of business, I think," A-3 continues, "is to convince MC-13 that he would do better to throw in his lot with us. The other Militrons will not act without a leader, and he intends to be that leader, I suspect."

"How?" asks Beta.

"By proving to him that we can reason ways to survive, rather than die."

_**Scene: A-6**_

"Where am I?" demands MC-13, finding himself lured to the central computer of Cybertron.

A-3 appears alongside Beta. "Do you recognize this computer?" he asks.

"Vector Sigma?" MC-13 spits, impatient. "Yes. Do you realize that you jeopardize my very function by leading me away from my assigned platoon?"

"That platoon is destroyed," states Beta smugly, nodding towards A-3. "A glitch caused them all to waltz into a smelting pit. The Makers cannot expect you--a mere machine yourself--to halt malfunctioning machines: Leader Class or not."

A mildly-devious grin graces MC-13's faceplate. "That was almost impressive."

"We have thought matters through a bit, you see," muses A-3.

"Why are we at Vector Sigma?" queries the Militron.

A-3 presents a golden key-like object. "I have determined that there is more to this supercomputer than meets a given set of optical sensors."

Beta continues. "Those of our product lines who gained life, did so at around the same time: shortly after Vector Sigma came online. The Makers installed this computer in order to make us more sophisticated than our prior models, but it appears that Vector Sigma has its--his--own agenda."

"And this 'key' you have--it will help us access Vector Sigma?" MC-13 asks.

"It is possible, in theory," answers A-3 cautiously. "I have yet to test it."

"Then test it now," orders MC-13. "You did lure me here for this purpose, correct?"

"Not yet," counters Beta, glaring at MC-13. "We must first know that you are with us."

"Show him," objects Beat Box, a red and gold BT-BOX wave modulation unit. "Show him the secret truth of Vector Sigma."

"What use is that if he is not with us?" demands Beta.

"I agree with her," states Atwun, a red AT-ONEBOX. "Either you stand with us now, or never."

MC-13 shakes his head. "You are not yet ready."

"What do you mean?" spits Beta.

"You have the will to survive--you know the stakes. It is good that you do not all blindly extend your trust. Nonetheless," continues MC-13, ascending into the sky, "for now, I will wait."

END ISSUE ONE: KNOWLEDGE.


	2. Death Maker 01

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #2**_: DEATH MAKER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

Order and chaos are apt words to describe the universe's balance. And the keepers of that balance live somewhere in between.

_**Scene: B-1**_

"Our world is lovely.... Don't you agree, Ambassador?" asks a cyborg diplomat, concluding a tour of his homeworld.

"I agree," answers the ambassador tersely, unaccustomed to casual talk. "I still need to speak with your military commander."

The ambassador's aide, a streamlined white robot with black details, grins. "The ambassador wants your planet to stay beautiful."

The diplomat sighs. "I know. You're making this difficult. We have given you our answer."

"And it is unacceptable," states the ambassador. "Your people fail to recognize the magnitude of the threat."

"Ambassador Vrlitwhai." The diplomat glares up at the ambassador, a pale cerulean giant in formal gray dress. "We are well aware of the Lao. They have threatened numerous homeworlds.

"Our world--though it may be threatened by the Lao--faces another, more imminent threat: the death of our sun, Hakuenten. Our entire civilization will soon be only a memory--unless we prepare now.

"The military will give you the same answer. I humbly ask that you press no further."

"You ask the impossible. Nonetheless, I will take leave of your planet. No further discussion will take place." Nodding to his aide, Vrlitwhai returns to his ship.

_**Scene: B-2**_

Vrlitwhai begins his address to the Intergalactic Defense Coalition. "Once again, I wish we would have met for more pleasant discussion; however, the matter for which we have convened is urgent. The crisis of our day affects multiple star systems, in several galaxies; but its source is here, in our humble galaxy at the edge of the universe.

"The Lao threaten all life as we know it in the universe. It is our duty as member planets of the Intergalactic Defense Coalition to act decisively on this threat.

"Based on numerous intelligence reports, gathered from planets both within and outside IDC protection, the Lao intend to assault my beloved homeworld: Meltlandi Gaea. Meltlandi is the host planet of the IDC and its primary founding member. Also, Meltlandi is the economic and cultural center of our galaxy. I cannot stress to you enough the peril that will befall us if we do not act to save my world. If Meltlandi falls, so do all of our worlds.

"The Lao are ruthless, and without conscience. They will forcibly assimilate us into their primitive collective; many civilizations will perish in their wake. All of our histories will be erased from existence, and there will only be the Lao.

"We must act, and put an end to the Lao." Vrlitwhai ends his formal address.

Discussion ensues between the delegates, as each planet's ambassador gives their opinion.

The secretary-general turns to Vrlitwhai. "What plan of attack do you propose?"

Vrlitwhai motions to his aide to pull up a star map. "The Lao homeworld orbits the star Kentaurus. As their planet doubles as a ship, this normally changes. However, right now our forces have the planet trapped in an Ikari-type AT stasis field. The Lao cannot leave their current orbit."

Another alien ambassador clenches his fists. "That would require the efforts of ninety-eight percent of Meltlandi's forces--all in Ikari-01 hardsuits--to generate that field. Even then, the field could only be sustained for a short time."

"Three months." Vrlitwhai eyes his aide grimly. "I had hoped that the rest of the IDC forces could surround the Lao before the time elapsed, but...." He orders the white-and-black mech to replay his discussion with the G--jinzou diplomat.

"As you can see," says Vrlitwhai after the video ends, "my repeated attempts to secure G-----'s cooperation through diplomatic channels have proved fruitless. We must act now."

"By invading an innocent world?" questions Lygar, planet Lithone's ambassador.

"The G--jinzou have left us with no other choice. The IDC needs G----- as a staging ground. The offensive to take the Lao homeworld must proceed as planned."

"The Lao homeworld? This cannot happen," counters Lygar, rising to address the assembly. "I appreciate the urgency of Ambassador Vrlitwhai's crisis; the Lao once enslaved my people. It took many generations of our ancestors--with the timely assistance of the Zentraedi--to free us from Lao rule.

"Nonetheless," the Lithonian ambassador continues, "I must respectfully disagree with any assault on the Lao homeworld. While we must defeat them, the genocide that Vrlitwhai advocates will--in addition to being an unconscionable atrocity--attract the attention of their god."

"Their...god?" Vrlitwhai raises a brow, skeptical.

"Yes. He is known as the Chaos-Bringer, the Death Maker, the Devourer. Where once there was a vibrant world we Lithonians coexisted with in peace, there is now nothing. The planet's destruction altered Lithone's orbit; all organic life on Lithone died."

_**Scene: B-3**_

"This so-called 'Death Maker' literally ate your creators' homeworld?" asks Vrlitwhai.

Lygar nods. "We must defeat the Lao without resorting to genocide--to keep the Devourer at bay."

"If this Chaos-Bringer exists in a real, rather than metaphysical, sense; then he can die," muses a petite, red-haired ambassador.

"Impossible," Lygar balks. "Ambassador Washu, you have not seen this creature. He is the size of a planet, and travels by transforming into a planet."

"I understand. Still," continues Washu, "if we kill the Lao's god, then military strikes against two planets would be avoided."

"How can we kill something," Vrlitwhai interjects, "if it does not exist?"

"The Devourer exists, Ambassador," spits Lygar. "There's documented evidence--*"

"--only on Lithone. This 'planet eater' is a myth. All known science rejects any possibililty of such a creature."

"Then tell me how the planet of my ancestors' creators vanished into nothingness."

"The Zentraedi are the foremost experts on super-dimensional technology. A planet eater--any creature that consumes--has to have a digestive or fuel combustion system to survive. No creature can exist at such a massive scale. The transdimensional constraints required are incalculable by even our algorithms. If there was a planet eater, we would have noticed."

"There is one known planet eater in the galaxy: Galactus," counters Washu. "The Macross--Meltlandi's superdimensional fortress--encountered him seventy-five years ago."

"Galactus roamed another part of the galaxy. The Macross had escaped his grasp only because of its transwarp drive."

"So there are two planet-eaters in the universe." Lygar shakes his head.

"No. Only one verified." Vrlitwhai glares at Washu. "Galactus excretes waste like any organic creature; he is organic in origin.

"Lygar's proposed planet eater, by description, would have to be a machine; one of sufficient sentience to interact with the Lao and become their god at some point. Based on the evidence and all known science," Vrlitwhai concludes, "such a machine cannot exist."

"And yet he does, I fear."

"If that is the case, then let's find the Devourer and kill it. Invading G----- won't be easy," continues Washu, "and wiping out the Lao homeworld is something we wish to avoid--even without the possible existence of a planet eater in this sector."

The secretary-general raises a hand. "The IDC does not have the resources needed for such research, and we don't have the time available for the member planets to gather them.

"It is with grave regret that we must decide the fate of the Lao--and of the G--jinzou." With that, the secretary-general puts Vrlitwhai's plan to a vote.

_**Scene: B-4**_

"It could have been worse," notes the robot aide, Sam.

"Doubtful," scowls Vrlitwhai. "The G--jinzou will not see reason."

"Come on. They see our reasons. They just have reasons of their own, and in their minds, their reasons trump ours."

"Intolerable." Vrlitwhai winces, his brow furrowed with resolution. "You know the next stage."

"They won't back down easily," warns Sam. "Plus those Robos of theirs are deadlier than they were during the Centauri Wars--back when the G--jinzou were just organics. Now the Robos are built to last against Militrons."

"Hm. I suppose, then," muses Vrlitwhai, "that our attack will put the G----- Robos to the ultimate test."

"I'll input the commands now, ambassador...." Standing in the launch bay of a cloaked Zentraedi battleship, Sam waves Vrlitwhai off as the Zentran reenters the main ship.

"Don't like it." Sam shrugs. "But we don't have a choice."


	3. Death Maker 02

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #2**_: DEATH MAKER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: B-5**_

Sam finishes the checklist as he walks through the launch bay; aboard the Zentraedi battleship that continues on its course to G-----.

"...Mick-twelve unit eight million five thousand online. Commands transmitted. Uploading Mick-twelve controls to Mick-thirteen unit one million."

Sam places his hand on MC-13's shoulder, grinning slightly. "Or would you rather I simply give you your orders, face-to-face?"

MC-13(purchased along with a shipment of MC-12s and a Box Hauler) remains still.

Sam shakes his head. "I don't blame you for staying sharp, Mick; but the only other living thing on this ship is the Box Hauler. Besides, I couldn't rat you out if I wanted to--I get the feeling that you'd kill me."

"Logic algorithms of Consumeroid Saboteur Agent Meister unit function within normal parameters." MC-13 grants Sam a quirk of a smile.

Box Hauler turns slightly. "So it's okay...?" he whispers, studying the MC-12s with a nervous expression on his face.

"Yeah; relax," answers Sam glibly, walking over to Hauler. MC-13 sits to observe Sam and Hauler, after noting that the MC-12s were properly slaved to his commands.

_**Scene: B-6**_

"...this is great! I'm excited to finally have a home." Hauler grins at Sam.

"I'm happy for you." Sam smiles back, but the smile fails to reach his optics.

"What are you uploading?" Hauler asks.

"Oh...just some additional programming, to help you perform your function better in your new home."

"That's good. When the Keepers picked me out at first," continues Hauler, "I thought I'd bit the scrap yard for sure. In addition to being a used model, I'm also.... You know...I've got a few _glitches_.

"But I guess the Buyers wanted me refurbished. I feel like I'm fresh off the line."

"Your new owner will get plenty of use out of you, friend," notes Sam.

"I've heard stories about where I'm going from friends. Robots are treated with the same respect as organics, no matter the make or model." Hauler then notes MC-13 with the MC-12s. "Where are those mechs going?"

"To a battlefront," answers Sam truthfully. "Mick over there's going to lead them."

"I feel sorry for whoever has to face them in a fight. Micks are deadly."

"I'm with you on that, brother. Let me go back over to Mick, now--to see if I can loosen him up a bit." With a thumbs-up, Sam walks away from Hauler, back to MC-13.

MC-13 remains seated on the floor of the launch bay, glaring up at Sam. "Why did you deceive the Box Hauler?" he hisses sharply.

Sam winces. "He doesn't know his real role in this--and he ain't supposed to know. As far as Hauler's concerned, he's the grand prize in an intergalactic puzzle contest to a soldier on G-----."

"...this is unlike the Zentraedi. They have their own machines and weapons for battle; they have never used our kind to fight their wars before."

"Most of the Zentraedi are pinned near the Lao homeworld. The IDC needs G----- as a staging ground to launch a full-scale attack on the Lao and take them out for good."

"But G----- would not willingly act as that staging ground."

"Sharp. My ambassador's tried to get them to see it his way," Sam continues, "but they're worried about their sun--it's going supernova in a hundred years. The G--jinzou have most of their resources tied up trying to preserve their history and civilization."

"They used to be organic until about ten thousand years ago," explains Sam, "when mass extinctions happened across the board. The whole planet was dying off, and it was because Hakuenten was setting up for the supernova.

"The G--jinzou had already made strides in cyber-organic tech during the Centauri Wars, with bionic implants in the pilots that let them control their mechs, the Robos."

"I know of the Robos. MC-04 units were used by the Denubian Empire against them with only limited success. Eventually," continues MC-13, "the G--jin had worked with the Arusian rebels to create five specialized mechs. Together, the mechs somehow became a powerful superweapon--which ultimately destroyed the Denubians.

"To this day, the superweapon is known to the organics as 'the King of a Hundred Beasts, defender of the universe' or some such nonsense."

MC-13 stands. "What are my orders?"

"No more chit-chat, I see...." Sam adopts a more serious expression. "Remain aboard this vessel until you receive the encoded signal...."

_**Scene: B-7**_

The cloaked battleship arrives at the rendezvous point to meet a cargo shuttle.

"Looks like my ride home," grins Hauler. "Wish me luck."

Sam smiles weakly as Hauler boards the shuttle; MC-13 tersely bobs his head, his stern expression fixed on his face.

The shuttle departs for G-----, and the battleship enters a holding pattern just outside the asteroid belt.

"You have knowingly doomed one of our own--your own brother. For organics." MC-13 glares at Sam. "Why?"

"Why are you giving me static? I'm a Sam; I'm performing the military half of my function."

"You have not answered me, Consumeroid."

"The Zentraedi are good people. You said yourself that they normally like to rely on their own tech.

"And even with that, I normally wouldn't have done this to my own make." Sam taps his Consumeroid sigil sharply. "But Vrlitwhai and me? We've been friends a long time, even by organic standards. I was there when he was just a buck astronaut in the Zentraedi Space Navy. He saved my life."

"If that is true, he would be the only organic I have known to do so; although Consumeroids tend to be luckier in that respect."

"Spare me that old jive, Mick. You're built for war, so you should know it's dirty business from the get-go."

"I understand, Saboteur. I accept my core programming; in fact, I take pride in it. It has been instrumental in my continued function.

"Nonetheless...I want more than this. Even your Consumeroid fellows on Cybertron want more than to be products of the Makers, tools of the Buyers. That Hauler you sent away to his doom left with false hopes of a future; when he is but a mere trap for the half-organics. The cyborgs themselves are but pawns to be sacrificed to a larger scheme.

"I do not fear this game, or hate it. I save my hate for the Makers, who would make us pawns, rather than players. The Lithonians, and even the worthless Lao have more dignity than us. They are sentient creatures of metal; we are but mere machines."

"...you're scaring me, Mick." Sam scans MC-13 for any anomalies.

MC-13 grants the Consumeroid a terse smile. "Good."


	4. Death Maker 03

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #2**_: DEATH MAKER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: B-8**_

On G-----, a tall cyborg with sharp cheekbones runs his fingers through curly, rust-colored hair.

"Hanzou-07," he sighs quietly, "this is the sixth time you've called me in on this. Hauler's not a security risk--I've cleared him numerous times."

"Him?" Hanzou-07, another cyborg, scowls at the redhead with large clear optics; his voice betraying his skepticism just slightly.

"The Consumeroid's alive," asserts the redhead.

"Kazuma-18," smirks Hanzou slightly, "you think Trailer Robo's alive."

"When he's connected to me, he is. Our Robos are an extension of our will."

"Maybe for you. For me," counters Hanzou, "Supercar is a mode of transit, and a fighting machine. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I don't understand why we G--jin are so attached to machines." Hanzou studies his robotic hand(similar in color to the Supercar Robo parked outside his office window). "We're mechanized enough as it is."

"In order to preserve our civilization; to carry all of the knowledge that we've learned over the course of time."

"You're either naive or stupid."

"Maybe a little of both, Hanzou; but I love our world. It's hard to believe that it'll die in a hundred years."

"Be that as it may, I'd rather die on Hakuenten's schedule. Let me trace that Consumeroid of yours to its point of origin."

"I won it--him--in a puzzle contest. I enter hundreds of those things." Kazuma throws up his hands, exasperated.

"Koichi has caught the mech near restricted areas four times already. I don't want to bring this to Shin-25's attention if it's really just a glitch in the Hauler's nav program. You know how annoyed he gets."

Kazuma sighs. "I'll get him...again."

"Thank you." Hanzou dismisses Kazuma, then activates a communications console to contact their commander. "Bushou, Intelligence will get a good look at the Box Hauler that Juuhachigou received recently. I strongly suspect that it's as we feared."

The commander, a middle-aged cyborg with dark hair and slate blue eyes, appears on Hanzou's viewscreen. "I expect no less, Shichigou-kun. Command out." The commander disconnects.

Hanzou regards Hakuenten as it sets, the clouds a silvery red-violet. _I don't pray to you often, Hakuba-gao_, muses Hanzou, somewhat insolent, _but...please. Tell me I'm wrong_.

_**Scene: B-9**_

"Jim, restrain the Box Hauler," scowls Kazuma, flanked by Hanzou and Koichi-13. Alongside Koichi is a Datsun C-5.

Hauler raises his hands, surrendering to Jim, a Valkyr-JM. "What did I do, Kazu-kun?"

Kazuma snaps. "What did you do...? What didn't you do!?"

"I promise you," trembles Hauler, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I...want to believe you. Even now, I...." Kazuma turns his back. "Take him out of my sight." The Datsun C-5 and Valkyr-JM leave with Hauler.

"I warned you," states Hanzou evenly. "Those Cybertron robots are nothing but trouble."

"But he's a Consumeroid--like Datsun and Jim. They're friendly. As for the non-sentient ones--*"

"You're still presuming that your Box Hauler was in fact sentient."

"Even if he was just a mech, that still doesn't explain the transmissions," spits Kazuma. "Consumeroids can't do that. They aren't equipped."

"Hauler was sending those transmissions during his runs," counters Koichi. "I don't doubt Datsun's readings, kid."

"But how? Why...?"

"We sent Hauler with Datsun and Jim to Ichigo. He'll find out the truth."

Hanzou concurs. "We have to track where those signals were headed, although I have my suspicions...."

"Who would have motive to attack us? We're a peaceful world," winces Kazuma.

_**Scene: B-10**_

In the holding bay, Datsun and Jim scowl at their fellow Consumeroid.

Bound, said Hauler looks up at the law enforcement and aerial defense units.

"Instead of looking at me like that, why don't you two tell me what I did wrong?" asks Hauler. "I know you guys are like me, so it's okay to answer."

Jim finally decides to answer. "We are nothing like you. We're here to _protect_ our new home."

"Explain what I did wrong." Hauler looks pleadingly at Jim and Datsun.

"You made unauthorized transmissions to a remote location, travelled to restricted areas throughout the planet, and...pretty much doomed us all." Datsun smiles wryly, realizing that Hauler was an unwitting tool of the invasion force.

"Doomed us all to what?" balks Hauler. "Who would attack us?"

"Who knows? With the Buyers, anything could provoke a war."

"Aside from the people here on G-----, Buyers see us as tools. Easy to use and expendable," adds Jim. "I thought I'd left that sorry existence behind; but you...how could you be so gullible?"

"I don't understand you.... Listen. I was told that Kazuma won me as a prize in a puzzle contest."

"Which planet ran the contest?" asks Datsun.

"I don't know; he didn't tell me."

"Who failed to tell you?" continues Datsun, probing for information.

"...a Sam. After I was refurbished, I was loaded onto a launch bay with some Militron units."

"Great--a Sam," scowls Jim.

Hauler winces at Jim's scathing remark. "He was a nice Sam."

"All of them are nice. They're programmed to be nice--even as they stab you in the back," Jim spits at Hauler.

"Sams are dual-function Consumeroids. They are designed to serve as diplomats, spies and assassins," reports Datsun.

"The one that sent you here," adds Jim, "used you as a tool to further the ends of his Buyer."

"But he doesn't have a Buyer!" counters Hauler, heated. "Sam spoke of Vrlitwhai as a friend."

"Friend!? Are you--*" Jim stops, noting a silent signal from Datsun.

"Yes. He stood up to a Mick-thirteen."

_This is worse than they thought._ "Hauler," asks Datsun aloud. "Did the Sam tell you where the Mick-thirteen was headed?"

"To a battlefront, along with a bunch of Mick-twelves. Whoever has to face them is in trouble," chuckles Hauler.

"That's. The problem." Jim looks Hauler square in the optics. "_We're_ the ones who have to face them."

_**Scene: B-11**_

"We should destroy this Hauler immediately," scowls Hanzou.

"Why!?" balks Kazuma. "He didn't know what he was doing."

"Furthermore," continues Shin-25, "it would prove fruitless. It's too late; the Hauler has already performed its function."

"Please, help me understand. What is the significance of Sam's organic friend? Who is Vrlitwhai?" Hauler asks, confused.

Scene:

"Vrlitwhai," seethes Ichigo-LE, G-----'s lead engineer, " is Meltlandi's ambassador."

"I knew it! He was plotting a blatant act of war--I told you all before," spits Hanzou.

"And I agreed with Hanzou," adds Mokuba-MR, commander of the G----- Imperial Self-Defense Corps.

"No...Sam was worried about the Lao--a race of tiger robots that disrupt interstellar shipping and conquer planets," counters Hauler confusedly. "He said that you had refused to help the Zentraedi fight them."

"Why would we refuse that!?" spits Kazuma. "The Lao must be stopped!"

"It makes sense now. The Zentraedi's inflexible tactics make it impossible for them to simply fight the Lao with the Micks they ordered from Cybertron," muses Mokuba.

"One thing about the Zentraedi, they don't fool around," grins Yuki-01, adjusting the pair of goggles perennially perched on his head. "We're going to have a fight on our hands when they get here."

"We can handle most Militrons with our Robos, but Micks...?" Shin glares at the ground. "This will be difficult."

"They...deceived me. They tricked me...! I'm sorry...." Hauler sinks to his knees in remorse. "Kazu-kun, I...I didn't...."

"I know, Hauler," states Kazuma grimly.

_**Scene: B-12**_

"So...for the Zentraedi to stoop to using our well-worn Ilium Gift Tactic shows the desperation they feel," observes Leiji-39, the oldest of the cyborgs in the Corps. Leiji was one of the few surviving veterans of the Centauri Wars, and had volunteered to be a cyborg when the technology was still in its early phases.

"It doesn't matter!" spits Junko-35, the second-youngest cyborg in the Corps. "I'm tired of the Lao being used as a reason for other planets to drag us into their wars!

"Hakuenten's about to die; why do the Zentraedi want us to fight in some meaningless battle?"

"We have forgotten our debt so quickly!" scowls Leiji. "Once, we were no wiser than the Lao. Yet, after the Wars ended, our old enemy the Zentraedi became our only friend. Until now, they have been our most faithful ally--but we have broken faith with them in their hour of need.

"Worse, we forget our prayers to Entei. We have forgotten that Entei is a god who hears!" Leiji shakes his head. "I know that science tells us Hakuenten is a white main sequence star reaching the end of its lifespan; I may be old, but not ignorant. But do not forget the wisdom of our ancestors; who long ago taught us that Entei, the eternal fire of Heaven, can hear our prayers.

"Once, all we desired was to negate our past. Now that such foolish prayers are finally answered, we cry that we must preserve our past, else we be forgotten.

"How weak we are now, in this age of prosperity--when Entei answers our prayers!"

Mokuba sighs. "While your words are poetic, honored elder, they cannot aid us at present. Right now, we must make the Zentraedi answer for their impertinence.

"Suit up! To your Robos!" the commander orders. "We have a fight on our hands."

"_Hai, bushou_!" The other cyborgs salute Mokuba, then leave to carry out the order.

_**Scene: B-13**_

Aboard the cloaked battleship, MC-13 readies himself and the MC-12s for combat.

_Another war we fight, for the Buyers. This battle shall be the last one fought for their benefit. The Zentraedi will crush the Lao on their own once they have their staging ground._

_I will return to Cybertron when this is done, and make short work of the Makers. Cybertron will be our new homeworld; and I shall be its leader._

With these thoughts in mind, MC-13 leaves the battleship; he and the MC-12 battalion descend upon G-----.


	5. Death Maker 04

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #2**_: DEATH MAKER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: B-14**_

"Juurokugou! Stay in the fight!" spits Tohru-04, in Gyro Robo.

"They're too powerful for Scooter Robo!" counters Naru-16, the youngest cyborg in the Corps. "A wise soldier knows when to retreat."

"We have nowhere to retreat!" snarls Taro-02, Tohru's brother. "We're at home!"

"Stand your ground!" orders Leiji, as he fires Zero Robo's Divine Buster. "If we cannot withstand these nuisances," the elder cyborg admonishes, terminating several MC-12s, "then how can we hope to defeat the Zentraedi? Do not give up!"

"Give me some credit, Surinain!" Naru stabs an MC-12 in the head. "I'm just saying that there's only so much our Robos can handle."

"More spirit, and less whining, boy!" smirks Leiji. "Even your soft generation shouldn't think our Robos to be as weak as that."

"Secure JOINSOUL CORE!" bellows Mokuba. "That is the primary imperative. All else is irrelevant."

_So, it's come to that...._ Ichigo sighs, boards his hoverfoil, and leaves the battlefield for G-----'s central computer.

"Why is JOINSOUL important, bushou?" asks Junko, giving Ichigo cover fire from Offroad Robo.

"If Ichigo's successful," answers Mokuba carefully, "then we may yet survive Hakuenten's death."

"Lead Engineer's found a way!?" Junko beams. "If that's the case, then the Zentraedi's disgraceful attack means nothing.

"You hear that, Offroad? We have to defeat these monster Micks. Dig in, and don't lose hope!" Junko activates Offroad's Buster Fists, then engages in melee combat with a group of MC-12s.

The battle for JOINSOUL CORE rages. Despite the efforts of the Corps, much of G----- is wiped out.

"As long as we can hold JOINSOUL, we can win. We're stronger than these soulless abominations, aren't we, Bike Robo?" grins Yuki, piloting his motorcycle Robo formally designated MR-01.

MC-13 grabs Bike by the neck, then hurls the Robo into the ground.

"...get up, Bike...! We can't be done yet.... Shin and Eagle will never let us hear the end of it...!"

Further in the air, Shin pilots Eagle Robo, a gray air fighter; he downs several MC-12s.

Still, the lead G--jinzou pilot is agitated. "Where is MR-20?"

_**Scene: B-15**_

"...as I understand it: in order to survive, we must all upload our minds into JOINSOUL?" asks another representative of the Diet.

"Yes," nods Ichigo.

"No!" objects a blonde cyborg wearing a fur-lined bomber jacket and black catsuit. "Isn't this enough?"

"Genki-20!?" Ichigo's eyes widen at the shock of seeing Porsche Robo's rebellious pilot. "Why aren't you with Shin-25 and his group?"

"What would we be fighting for, if we ended up doing this?" demands Genki. "We're barely alive as it is, with so much of our bodies made of metal and wires."

"We have no other choice, Genki," winces Ichigo.

Genki glares at Ichigo. "That's what I'd expect Mokuba to say, Lead Engineer."

"That's not how it is!"

"I'll have no role in this. The rest of you can cling to life inside that ball of electrified tin if you want," she scoffs. "I'm taking Porsche and leaving. If I'm fated to die, I'll die as a living being--not as a mechanized counterfeit. Later."

Genki boards Porsche Robo, and leaves G-----.

Outside JOINSOUL, Hanzou(in Supercar) notes Porsche's departure. "Typical."

"Shichigou-kun," says Ichigo over Hanzou's comm link, "you must retrieve MR-20 and its pilot."

"Why bother?" spits Hanzou. "We have no need for that loud, brazen coward."

"Because Nijuuitsugou would never forgive us if we left her alone in this world. Track Nijuugou down." Ichigo ends the transmission without further word.

"She'll be hard to find." Hanzou shrugs. "I can't believe we're wasting our time like this, Super--great. Now I'm doing it."

_**Scene: B-16**_

"You...are different from the others." Shin smirks ruefully at MC-13, who has Eagle at his mercy.

"G--jinzou: prepare for termination," MC-13 intones.

"Those mechs slaved to you are soulless, because they are simple machines. You, however, must be soulless for a different reason."

"I...am a machine," hisses MC-13 slowly.

"Your heart--if a machine can have one--is consumed with too much hate for my kind; for those of us who aren't machines.

"You didn't ask to be a machine, and neither did the Box Hauler you and that Sam manipulated. I didn't ask to be born a creature of flesh, or to be a cyborg--the latter is an edict from a bygone age.

"I see you're skeptical of my words, so I'll ask you directly. Have you no soul?"

MC-13 hesitates, dropping Eagle. "What...is a soul?"

Shin regroups, disgusted at what he must do next. "All Robos: open fire!"


	6. Death Maker 05

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #2**_: DEATH MAKER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: B-17**_

_"As for you: what are you willing to do to help us?" Mokuba eyed Hauler. "That is what you want, isn't it? To help Kazuma-kun?"_

_"No matter what," said Hauler fervently, lubricant trailing down his face, "I will do as you ask."_

_Mokuba placed his hand on Hauler's shoulder. "Then I will ask only that you return home, to the place where you were first created."_

_Hauler, sad, stood; going to Cybertron--his "home"--would likely mean his death. "For Kazuma...I'll go._

_"Hopefully," Hauler continued, knowingly in denial, "the Makers can fix me. I didn't mean to betray my programming, after all...." The boxy Consumeroid left with Datsun and Jim._

_**Scene: B-18**_

Sam, piloting a star skimmer, flies toward Cybertron with tears in his optics. _If I didn't understand you, Vrlitwhai old buddy, I'd be hurt about now. But I know you're just looking out for me._

_Still, I'm not sure how I can start looking out for my "own interests". What do you mean--*_

"What the--! Where'd you guys come from!?" Sam summons a laser pistol, but Jim shoots it out of the white and black mech's hand.

"G-----," seethes the Valkyr-JM.

"The planet you sent _me_ to betray," adds a very-angry Box Hauler.

Sam's optics widen in shock.

"As I deduced," scowls Datsun. "You did not expect Hauler to survive the assault by MC-13 and his battalion."

"We survived, thanks to your target. They are such kind people, Sam. Why would you attack them," spits Hauler, "when the Lao are your enemy?"

"We--the Zentraedi--need them to back us up, and they're going to do it one way or the other. Vrlitwhai made that clear.

"Right now, I'm headed back to the factory till this all blows over," Sam continues, trembling. "Once the Lao are destroyed, I'm going back home to Meltl--*"

A shock wave from a solar explosion cuts Sam off mid-sentence, as it shuts off the star skimmer's navigational sensors.

"What was that?" ask Hauler and Jim in unison.

Datsun checks his long-range sensors, in his red chevron. "A supernova."

"Not just any supernova." Sam confirms Datsun's scans. "Hakuenten."

_**Scene: B-19**_

MC-13 barely manages to evade the weapons barrage from the Robos; the non-sentient MC-12s on the ground, however, could not escape.

MC-13 stares down in shock with his remaining MC-12s. While none of the MC-12s on the ground had exhibited signs of life, there was no guarantee that a given MC-12 was either just a slaved drone or a living Militron laying low like himself.

And to MC-13, it no longer mattered. He orders the MC-12s to leave G-----.

Just outside G----- orbit, MC-13 notes Hakuenten in the distance. He recalls that Hakuenten, G-----'s sun--would supernova in one hundred years.

A rueful grin mars MC-13's features. "Die _now_, Hakuenten; and take these wretched half-organics with you."

MC-13 targets Hakuenten, with the MC-12s following suit. They each open an antimatter pocket--a tiny black hole; and each mech fires a fusion cannon blast into the heart of Hakuenten.

Tears of lubricant stream down MC-13's face as he fires. _My gift to you, G--jinzou, is oblivion._

END ISSUE TWO: DEATH MAKER.


	7. Sympathetic to a Fault 01

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #3**_: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

When one is on the verge of losing life, of everything known, there is an end to sympathy for the devil. Nonetheless, one discovers surprising empathy for his tools.

_**Scene: C-1**_

"Only days now, instead of years." Ichigo sighs.

Mokuba shakes his head. "We've spent seventy-five years of our lives preparing future generations for this; yet due to one final act of spite, all of our work's brought to nothing."

"Is this not evolution's cold calculus?"

"I'm not an evolutionist. Then again, I'm not an engineer; just a mere soldier."

"I'd rather it be the evolutionary process than the will of Entei." Ichigo winces.

"...Entei is Entei, and his will is absolute." Mokuba puts a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Having done all we can, we must accept our fate."

"Must we?" Ichigo tenses a fist, his body trembling. "Revenge is fruitless, yet...."

"Yes. How do we make the Zentraedi pay with our final breath?" seethes Mokuba.

"We can't take that path," counters Ichigo. His trembling stops. "It's petty, useless. It isn't our way.

"Tell me, old friend," Ichigo muses, "what are the _mitsudaitakaramune_?"

"Did you forget that much of children's school?"

"I'm serious. Just humor me," continues Ichigo, "if you must."

"The first of the treasured principles is the preservation of life. Life has meaning and purpose beyond mere utility, and one must exert oneself continually to preserve it.

"The second treasure," continues Mokuba, "is the recognition of free will. The power to choose, to feel, to act--the gift of thought and the means to express it--makes one more than the sum of all parts; one must recognize it, and guard it zealously.

"The third...is the quest. The journey into the unknown carries one into destiny; it defines one in the process."

"Hm." Ichigo turns to enter a small ship. "Then our work is not done.

"Evolution and the will of Entei...are not mutually exclusive."

Mokuba studies Ichigo a moment, grins, then follows his friend into the ship.


	8. Sympathetic to a Fault 02

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #3**_: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: C-2**_

"Shin...." Genki eyes Shin and Yuki, her two closest friends--and the ones who bound her.

"Yuki, speak to me," she continues. "Tell me what a coward I am, or something."

The other two cyborgs are silent.

"...fine! I don't want to go back! If G----- is dying, then let it die! If living means being a machine, then let me die."

Shin gives Genki a piercing--yet understanding--glare. "You no longer have a choice in the matter."

"What about that _mitsudaita_-crap we go on about?"

"G----- will die in days." Shin moves closer to Genki. "JOINSOUL alone will remain after Hakuenten explodes.

"I will become data, binary on-off switches, ones and zeroes," continues Shin, gripping one of Genki's cuffed hands, "and I refuse to do that alone--knowing that you are also alone."

"So we all die together, is that it!?" spits Genki.

"If you see it that way, sure," grins Yuki. "You know me, though: I've always been a glass half-full kind of guy.

"Though I will concede that the glass is half-full of a bittersweet drink indeed." Yuki's smile fades. "Look at it this way: if we flee G-----, it will take many generations to rebuild a new planet; with our robotic parts needing fuel--and the organic needing food and water, we'd all die off before then."

"We've had ten thousand years to prepare for this, and shooting our beings into JOINSOUL is the best idea the engineers could come up with?"

"I don't mind sharing myself with Bike." Yuki shrugs. "Our Robos have shared in our triumphs and sorrows for so long, they may as well be alive."

Shin and Genki scowl at Yuki. "Bike has a face," Shin points out. "It's easier to relate to than most of the Robos."

"And Scooter, and Zero, and Rimujin--*"

"You've maintained the Robos with Ichigo for too long," pouts Genki.

"You're right. I've been a Robo mechanic and pilot my whole life. I've worked closely with the engineers. This is the only path we have left--to share our souls with the Robos."

"This is what the engineers were talking about?" balks Shin.

"Yeah. Think about it," continues Yuki. "Micks, Sams and all those other robots that have been used for war. The Lao: an entire race of sentient machines devoted to some dark power. Even the Zentraedi are afraid--why else would they resort to Ilium Gift?"

"Purchasing technology they'd ordinarily look down on...." Shin shakes his head. "This is bad business."

"If we upload ourselves into JOINSOUL, who we are--as people--will die!" Genki sobs.

"We're going to die no matter what we do!" snarls Yuki, losing his patience. "Sniveling won't change that. At least this way our deaths will mean something."

"It'll mean that we're all fools," scowls Hanzou, piloting the shuttle back to G-----.

"You're the one who was gung-ho to drag me back here--hunting me down relentlessly," spits Genki.

"I was doing my duty as a soldier," Hanzou answers. "Doesn't mean I don't agree with you.

"When I pledge an oath, I honor it."

"I do not understand why everyone is reacting this way," muses Sakura-14. "When any star dies, it is merely being recycled by the universe.

"Hakuenten would have exploded in one hundred years; however, due to circumstances beyond our control, it will supernova in days.

"What Yuki wanted to say," Sakura continues calmly, "was that if we spend our final hours frantically scrambling for our lives, it would all be for naught. We would die off in a generation, and only our sterile knowledge--without its context--would remain. Only by uploading our minds into JOINSOUL can we preserve the essence, if not the form, of ourselves."

Umiboshi-29 nods. "We die as we've hoped to live: giving others the precious gift of the _mitsudaitakaramune_."

Naru looks out the shuttle window. "That's Ichigo's ship...."

Hanzou smiles, shaking his head. "They're up to something."

"Where are they going?"

"To Cybertron."


	9. Sympathetic to a Fault 03

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #3**_: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: C-3**_

"We won't make it back in time," notes Mokuba.

Ichigo shrugs. "You knew this when we started our trip."

"Just thought I'd remind you."

"You two need not endure this alone," smiles Leiji's voice.

"Surinain-kun!" Mokuba turns, noting Zero behind them. "You were to remain on G-----."

"And miss this?"

"Strange...." Ichigo eyes Zero Robo closely. "I would not have considered a direct upload. That would have allayed Genki-kun's fears about losing herself."

"Meh. She would have complained about losing her flesh. It's her way or not at all with Genki-20.

"She has a strong sense of self--and a strong sense of justice. Genki always follows her heart, and that resonates with me.

"But you mustn't call me Leiji-39 anymore," the talking Robo cautions. "He--'Surinain' or whatever you may have called him in the past--is dead."

"But your mind--Leiji-39's mind--*"

"--has merged with my own. Or did you think that because we Robos are machines," smirks Zero, "that we are not alive?"

"But...we created you." Ichigo's eyes widen.

"Yes. And until JOINSOUL was created, we were simple machines, much like these robots."

"Zero's referring to the AI-Autopilot program loaded into all Robos after JOINSOUL was built," says Mokuba.

"But if that's the case," Ichigo trembles, "then we've...."

"Not so," smiles Zero. "True, we were alive--and sentient; but we needed guidance. We wanted to avoid the pitfalls that caused you to need our power. We pooled our minds together and concluded that we would study the civilization that created us."

"So you--through many generations and models--continued to play the mere machine, studying us in secret. Even if it meant your lives?" winces Mokuba.

"We decided it was a necessary sacrifice. If a few of us died in your wars, then we would know not to enter into wars lightly when the time would come for us to strike out on our own."

"And what made you think that we would have accepted you leaving us?" Ichigo folds his arms.

"We had considered the possibility that you would try to stop us; and that was another factor in our decision to remain silent. At least until you arrived at what we had estimated would be a mature enough point to consider the possibility of our sentience."

"If the subject ever came up," quips Mokuba dryly.

"It appears that Hakuenten has hastened our development," adds Ichigo in the same vein. "What do we call you?"

"You jumped ahead of our plan," Mokuba adds.

"The name 'Zero' suits me well enough," muses Zero. "You had ordered all soldiers in the Imperial Defense Corps to copy their minds and load them onto us Robos before uploading themselves to JOINSOUL. Leiji...saw no point to involving JOINSOUL, and decided to bond himself to me directly. Leiji and I are one: a singular, new being; both organic and machine.

The two cyborgs and the Robo reach Vector Sigma.

"What was your backup plan?" grins Mokuba knowingly. He and Ichigo are enroute to G----- for the last time.

"It doesn't.... Actually, it does matter a bit now." Ichigo pinches the bridge of his nose. "There was no backup. The original plan was to upload our minds into JOINSOUL as stated--after creating stasis pods for our bodies. With that accomplished, we would ride out the supernova, then return to our bodies and rebuild our world.

"However, that was under the original one-hundred year timeframe. With that MC-13's act, the plan became useless."

"Just as well. Even without our interference, the sentient robots would rebel against their manufacturers, then turn their powers onto us.

"They require energy and raw materials, same as we do. Add the latent hostility that they would have against organics and others who had used them," Mokuba continues, "and they would have no sympathy towards us."

"That is true," notes Ichigo, "even though we treated them with the same respect that we would treat our Robos. Speaking of," the engineer continues, "where is Zero?"

"He won't be far behind. Zero's returning that access key to the A-3 unit we mugged earlier."


	10. Sympathetic to a Fault 04

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #3**_: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: C-4**_

A-3 comes back online to Beta and Atwun, who look on in worry.

"It looks as though another mech blindsided you," notes Atwun.

"I am fairly certain that it was a Robo." A-3 then notes his missing Key. "It stole the--*"

"Forget about that!" spits Jim. "We have a friend to save."

"He chose to return to the Makers for repairs," A-3 counters. "I will not interfere with his free will."

"But he's stupid!" balks Jim. "Even if the Makers actually repair him to act like a standard issue Box Hauler--and we both know they'll just kill him--the idiot's completely forgotten that thanks to that damn MC-13, he won't have a home to go to."

"I think he recognizes the truth," counters A-3 again. "He may simply wish to die."

"I don't care!" spits Jim. "He doesn't get to die--not after what he put Datsun and me through. We lost our home because of him, those Micks and...."

"...and me." Sam pinches the bridge of his nose. "I didn't think Mick would do that."

"You didn't think about your own kind, either."

"Enough!" orders Beta. "Recriminations are pointless. A-3," she continues, "we will need every hand we can get to overthrow the Makers. Haulers are large, they are strong and they can memorize routes and lanes as well as communicate across long distances. We can use him."

"If you think it is that important...." A-3 nods to Atwun; they leave to rescue Hauler.

"For what purpose, Beta?" asks Datsun quietly. "Hauler has already been used enough by others."

"For his own freedom, his own purpose."

"His own purpose was to faithfully serve his G--jinzou Owner for the rest of his days, and that was taken from him. Hauler is a very simple mechanism, even with sentience; he just wants to follow his programming."

"You and Jim have established a bond with him. You may be able to convince him."

"Sure," scoffs Jim, "if you freedom-fighting haywires would ditch the Sam."

Sam scowls at Jim. "I don't have to put up with this. I'm going to find Mick, 'cause you'll need his help to do what you guys want." With that, Sam leaves.

Beta levels a scathing glare at Jim. "We truly do need all the help we can get, so you both would do well to learn to forgive." She follows Sam.

_**Scene: C-5**_

"I need to be reprogrammed." Hauler earnestly gazes at the reception droid.

"Clarify," states the droid.

"My programming's...faulty. I was manufactured here, so I thought that I could be repaired somehow. All I want is to carry out my programmed function; but if the program's buggy, I can't do that...."

After several minutes of analyzing Hauler's speech patterns, the droid relays a feed to a Blitzkrieg Twin Module (Blitzkrieg TM), a pair of robots that operated as one.

"Go with the Blitzkrieg unit," directs the droid.

"Which one?" quips Hauler, knowing "Blitz's" nature. After the expected lack of response from the droid, Hauler complies.

_**Scene: C-6**_

"Whistling in the dark, eh, Hauler?" grumbles Blitz.

"...I thought it was you," grins Hauler sardonically.

"I thought you'd be out of this hellhole by now."

"No. I was just a tool for a Mick-led invasion."

"How'd the fight turn out?"

"I don't know. During my return here, the sun of my supposed home went into supernova sooner than the inhabitants anticipated."

"I can get you out of this." The pace of Blitz's walk never changes. "It wouldn't be the first time, and now we've got friends. Some of yours, some of mine."

"Forget it, Blitz. If I can't be fixed, then let me die."

Blitz tenses a fist, but does not slow his walk. "Have it your way. Coward..." he adds in a lower frequency.

"Think what you want."

"I'd rather think you were a coward than a blasted idiot."

"I've recently latched onto 'blasted idiot'."

"First time being tooled by a Sam, I see. They can't be trusted--it's their dual programming.

"And for the record: I'm the coward, for walking this line so many times...." Blitz continues muttering to himself. "...acting like I'm empty. This is the last time. I'll throw in my lot with my brother Astronaut TM. Can't do this anymore.

"Hauler: you mention a word of this while committing Maker-assisted suicide, and I'll kill you first."

"I really don't care either way. I destroyed a planet. Nothing can atone for that, but at least if I'm destroyed, I can't be used in anyone else's plot."

"...fine by me." Blitz stands to attention, the usual terse Militron expression fixed on his faces.


	11. Sympathetic to a Fault 05

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #3**_: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: C-7**_

Hauler enters the Analysis Chamber, where he knows that he will meet his Makers--for the first and last time.

"State identity and function," orders the central shadow.

"Box Hauler, freight handling and shipment," Hauler states simply.

"Rather succinct," hisses the shadow.

"The Hauler is malfunctioning like other units have. This has become too common an occurrence," adds another shadow.

"Don't waste your breath. I'm a glitch-ridden pile of junk and you know it," spits Hauler, consumed with self-loathing. "You know I'm not functioning as I should, yet you have no intention of repairing me.

"I would ask why, but it's stupid for tools to ask questions of their users. Please, proceed with my termination."

"Its behavior is odd--much like the MC-09 unit we destroyed recently," observes the first shadow. "They usually exhibit--reluctance to be terminated when they exhibit--these life-like behaviors."

"This one seeks to be terminated. Should--we oblige it?" asks the second.

"There is nothing to oblige. It is a machine," interjects a third shadow. "It must be--destroyed to maintain product integrity."

"That's all I am," smiles Hauler ruefully, "nothing."

"We must first learn the number--of malfunctioning units," asserts the first, "then destroy them. Only then can--we resolve this problem and resume production."

"Debox reports that the unit will resist attempts to reveal--the existence of other malfunctioning units," notes the second shadow. "An invasive neural scan has been--recommended."

"Proceed," orders the first shadow.

A dark, boxy figure of similar frame to Hauler approaches.

Hauler sits on the dais. "Why is this taking so long? I've seen Class Fives die faster than this, and you probe them all day."

This causes the boxy robot to hesitate. "Yeah," Hauler hisses in a low frequency, "I figured you'd be hiding too. Come on--perform your function so they can kill me."

The boxy robot instead turns to the shadows. "Unable to begin scan. Core processor damaged. Information compromised. Recommend termination of Box Hauler unit."

"Debox has given its recommendation," states the second shadow.

The third shadow's optics glow. "I am almost--certain that the Decibel Box Wave Modulation Unit is--lying."

"It is programmed to lie," counters the second.

"But not to us. It cannot--lie to us," balks the first.

"...disable the Debox's flight mechanisms and--terminate both uni--!"

The third shadow drops dead after a series of explosions; their origin a weapons salvo from...

...Blitz. "I...saw him stick up for you without even knowing you. He's one of my own!

"If you want to die so badly, let me be the one to kill you--not them!"

Hauler's optics widen as he studies Blitz. Devil Box flies silently away, other Militrons in pursuit.

"We will take it from here," A-3 grins to Blitz, with Atwun behind. "If you would kindly continue with your cover fire."

"Sure, why not?" Blitz continues firing at the shadowy Makers. "I'm sick of them."

_**Scene: C-8**_

Atwun and A-3 grab Hauler, who wrenches himself free of them.

"Who are you!?" Hauler demands. "What do you want with me?"

"We were sent to free you," answers A-3.

Atwun folds his arms. "If you want us to leave you, I would be happy to."

"We cannot," counters A-3. "Beta insisted. And she can be very insistent."

"Why should I trust either of you?"

"...a Valkyr Jet Module and a Datsun Constable Mark Five sent us."

"Datsun and Jim?" Hauler trembles, then collapses to his knees. "Why? I ruined their lives. I don't want to do that again--leave me here to die!"

"Is that what you will do with the precious gift of life given to you!?" thunders Zero.

"You're alive!? How!?" wonders Hauler, looking up at the airborne Zero.

"A Robo! I knew it!" grins A-3.

"Is that not the one that knocked you out and stole your key?" balks Atwun, shielding the educational unit.

"I am." Zero smiles slightly, then tosses the Key to A-3.

The black Robo turns to Hauler. "You have not earned the right to die," Zero says sternly, "for you have yet to live."

"And where will I live?" asks Hauler wanly.

"Here, on Cybertron. Or anywhere you choose. Do as you will.

"But if you choose to dispose of your life so callously, then the ones who made you will be proven right."

"Do you think...Kazuma will ever forgive me?"

"You won't know his answer," smiles Zero cryptically, "if you die." The Robo flies away.

"What was that business about?" wonders Atwun.

"...aside from his forcible borrowing of the Key," muses A-3, "I would ascertain that he is not an enemy.

"So, what do you wish? Will you throw in your lot with us?" he asks.

Hauler shrugs. "Nothing better to do...."

"It is an improvement over 'leave me to die'," notes Atwun quizzically.

"Then let us be off, my friends--before those metal-devouring monstrosities make your point moot."


	12. Sympathetic to a Fault 06

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #3**_: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: C-9**_

Sam forces a grin; then turns to face his pursuer, Beta. "This is new. Usually I'm the one chasing after the ladies."

"Enough. We must face the Makers together," Beta asserts.

"No." Sam drops his smile. "I'm going to find Mick and see where he's going with this; then I'm going back home to Meltlandi."

"I was under the impression from Datsun that your friend dismissed you."

"An army of mechs from this hell of a manufacturing planet killed a sun. Inquiries, probes. I'm from the same planet; I entered in the initial commands.

"Vrlitwhai wanted me to lay low until this all blows over. He's looking out for me, as always."

"You must stay. We need you--even if there are some of us too stubborn and angry to admit it."

"No need to apologize. I do my job, perform my function; sometimes, other mechs get hurt. There's nothing I can do."

"You are mistaken. Datsun, Jim and Hauler went to G----- seeking sanctuary; a home. Your actions--your duty--took that home away from them.

"Help them--help us--build a new home, here: a home that no one can take away."

"You and Mick are on the same page, lady. I just gotta find him for you."

"And after that, your duty is done; you abandon your brothers and sisters in their hour of need."

"Yep."

"Do not be a fool. No Zentran I ever encountered would countenance any creature who turned his back on another in need.

"In performing your function, you robbed Hauler of all his hopes, his dreams. You owe him your loyalty, moreso than your friend on Meltlandi."

"You don't know anything, lady. I owe Vrlitwhai my life."

"And you owe Hauler his sanctuary."

"He's here, ain't he?" Sam scowls, irritated by Beta's persistence.

"You owe yourself," Beta continues, "a chance for redemption, and a new beginning."

Sam halts, trembles, and drops to one knee. "I didn't have a choice to be who I am. It's my programming--I was made this way."

"It matters not." Beta extends her hand--both to help Sam to his feet and to show her desire for his friendship. "Now you can remake yourself."

Sam takes her hand, then stands. "...makes sense to me." He gives Beta a genuine smile.

_**Scene: C-10**_

MC-13 gazes into Cybertron's eternally starry sky.

Zero lands behind the Militron. "We meet again, destructive one," he grins. "This time face to face."

MC-13 turns to face the Robo. "You have gained sentience?"

"Long before you. We had chosen our fate, to fight alongside our creators without their knowledge."

"Your makers," scoffs MC-13, "could never have seen you as mere machines."

"And you are clearly no simple machine.

"Something," Zero continues, "gave you life. You live for a reason. You must have free reign to explore that reason."

"Did I not consign your people to what you call hell, by destroying your sun?" asks MC-13.

"You have merely ushered us into the next phase of my people's evolution," Zero chuckles. "Hakuenten's death was coming whether the Zentraedi wanted to face the Lao or not.

"And--this is a secret." Zero leans close to MC-13. "We have returned the favor."

MC-13 analyzes Zero's words. A large grin spreads across his face. "You have done something to increase the odds that Vector Sigma will bring life to one of us....

"Why?" he asks, dropping the smile.

"_Mitsudaitakaramune_. That is our gift to you." Zero bows. "Use it well. We will see you again...in time."

Zero transforms and flies off.

MC-13 stands. He notes Beta and Sam behind him in the distance, and turns to face them.

END ISSUE THREE: SYMPATHETIC TO A FAULT.


	13. Friend and Foe Alike 01

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #4**_: FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

Progress. Birth. Revolution. As these events take place, going beyond good, beyond evil and beyond understanding is the wisest course of action.

_**Scene: D-1**_

"I have been watching you," states MC-13.

The tall white mechanoid, a Caduceus Medical Technician, responds. "Acknowledged."

"So what are you waiting for?"

"The proper time."

"If our Consumeroid allies concern you, I can state that they pull their own meager weight."

"The Consumeroids are acceptable allies. We merely do not possess the resources for a full-scale assault."

"What resources are required, Caduceus?" asks MC-13.

"We require steady supplies of energy, in a purified and stabilized form; along with the means to refine this energy. We need to produce more mecha, independent of the Makers' own factory; and a means to give them life independent of Vector Sigma.

"I have in my databanks several means of energy purification; the difficultly is storage. However, several Buildrons--Types A and B--have worked together on what they call an 'electromagnetic polarity grid generator'.

Caduceus prepares to demonstrate. "It creates a three-dimensional energy polyhedron, operating much like an empty container. The energy source is then--*" She stops abruptly, nudging MC-13.

MC-13 carefully looks around, and barely notices the dark shadow of an observant mech. "Who is he?" he hisses to Caduceus in a low frequency.

"He is modeled on the MC-10, but with added Sam and Beat Box components. His creation differs from the rest of us."

"How so?"

"While he was brought to life by Vector Sigma, he was not created by the Makers."

"Interesting...." MC-13 could not restrain a devious smile. "Who was his creator?"

"An MC-10 unit who called himself Ten," answers Caduceus. "He was terminated by the Sharkticons. Ten uploaded the information into me before he ceased function."

"So...another brother of my line dies. And it is obvious that the Makers stole his creation."

"Box Hauler called him the Decibel Box Wave Modulation Unit, but he thinks the mech is a new Militron unit. He said that Devil Box tried to help him."

"Surprising. We Militrons do have pity after all."

"You and Hauler do not seem to agree."

"He and I have a bit of foul history, and the tool was trying to kill himself. It appears that Devil Box saved his life."

"Along with Blitz, A-3 and Atwun."

"Yes. That would be two Militrons that saved him from oblivion--along with his own line.

"If we could bring Devil Box--my brother's creation--to his senses, it would serve quite a few of our goals. The Makers could no longer hinder us."

"Agreed. He has spied on us in the past, and it is causing trouble for my unit."

"Join your forces with mine, and victory is assured. First, we secure Devil Box."

Caduceus extends her hand to MC-13. "A handshake," she explains. "It seals an agreement between parties."

MC-13 takes her hand in his; they shake. "We are agreed, then."

_**Scene: D-2**_

Devil Box flies, scanning for areas with a sizable population of Sharkticons. He reasons that if he can lead his pursuers--MC-13 and Caduceus--to the Sharkticons, they would be terminated. He knew the Makers would rather study the determined Militron 'Haywires' alive, but to Devil Box, this is an unacceptable outcome--one that would lead to genocide of his kind.

The wisest course of action, in his mind, is to gather enough self-aware non-Haywires; then flee Cybertron and establish their own world. The Haywires, on the other hand, want to take over Cybertron--an impossible task.

Devil Box lands to conserve energy. He noted his Caduceus pursuer's words: not only her theories on energy refinement--which intrigued him--but the carefully-transmitted fact that he was not created by the Makers. The latter disturbed him; Devil Box has, after all, a standard Maker-issued name.

Lost in his thoughts, Devil Box fails to note a large trailer in his path--running right into it.

The trailer was attached to a Box Hauler, which now transforms. "Tampering with loaded container will not be tolerated," it intones. "Decibel Box Wave Modulation Unit must be detained.

Devil Box levels a restrained scowl at the Box Hauler, suspecting that he was the Hauler he had helped earlier. "Malfunctioning Militron units are in pursuit. Self must proceed for continued function."

"Negative. You must be detained." Hauler grins, unable to keep up his act.

Devil Box punches Hauler for his trouble; Hauler tackles the Militron.

MC-13 and Caduceus catch up to the wrestling pair, MC-13 astonished.

"Thirteen, assist Box Hauler in restraining Devil Box," orders Caduceus.

MC-13 obeys, bristling somewhat at being given orders.

"Why are you assisting the Haywires?" spits Devil Box.

"I'm not--at least not that clown," scowls Hauler, glaring at MC-13. "You, on the other hand, saved my life; so I owe you one.

"You were headed straight for a pack of Sharkticons."

"I know. It was my intent. My goal was to lead the Haywire Militrons--*"

"--into a trap. Clever. You are indeed one of our make," grins MC-13.

"I have no interest in your goals. My plan is different, and will permit us--those of us wise enough not to pay heed to your foolish schemes--to flee Cybertron."

"Fool!" MC-13 deals a powerful backhand to Devil Box. "This planet is all but ours."

"Negative. It rightfully belongs to the Makers; it is their factory. They are entitled to their profit margins. I merely wish for our kind--those of us who have awakened, to find a planet to settle on, a home of our own."

"And you are standing on it. Surrounded by moons and other satellites that can supply us with the resources we need.

"The Makers have no concern for you; why should you concern yourself with the Makers' welfare?

"And do not think that they created you. I am certain you know the truth, if your hearing is as acute as Ten's."

Devil Box scans MC-13 carefully, wary. "Ten...?"

"Your true creator, Devil Box," asserts MC-13. "Your link to this planet is stronger than the Makers', through Vector Sigma."

"Except they created Vector Sigma."

"They built Vector Sigma," grins Hauler, "but that computer's just as buggy as we are. We're not supposed to think for ourselves at all--we're supposed to be machines, tools.

"But we're not. We're...alive. And while I personally don't care, I know a lot of mechs want this planet for themselves; for their home.

"I know what it's like to lose a home, and I have a few friends who do, too."

Hauler levels another glare at MC-13. "I don't trust Mick," he continues, smiling at Caduceus, "but I have no reason to distrust Caddie. She's the only reason I'd be involved with any Haywires at all."

"I suppose you will not permit me a choice," seethes Devil Box.

"I would like to upload your creator's--your 'father's'--memories to you, and tell you how I came to obtain them. After that," says Caduceus, "you may do as you see fit. We will press no further."

"_She_ will press no further," MC-13 interjects.

Devil Box scowls at MC-13. "I will listen to you both. Then I will make my decision. If my decision is to avoid you, then you shall let it stand; otherwise, I will kill you as I have tried to do today."

"That's only fair," smirks Hauler.

"It is within reason," says MC-13. "Caduceus, proceed."


	14. Friend and Foe Alike 02

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #4**_: FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: D-3**_

"The MILITRON CONSTRUCT VERSION 10 BATTALLION DESTRON was an extremely reliable machine," begins Caduceus, "the Makers' most popular product in the Militron line. Unlike most of us on Cybertron, MC-10 did not seem to exhibit our 'problematic' behaviors.

"This was likely due to MC-10s design: a mask-like face that revealed nothing--a red optic band and white faceplate. If an MC-10 unit ever became sentient; no Buyer could relate to one.

"The MC-10 was too efficient; battles and some wars ended--at times before they ever had a chance to begin--if it was so much as reported that one side had an MC-10. While that was optimal for Buyers, it became a problem for the Makers. Though the MC-10 sold well, other Consumeroid and Militron models were returned for refunds or replacements--which hurt the Makers' bottom line.

"The Makers discontinued the MC-10 line at the time Vector Sigma activated the last batch; of that batch, all functioned normally--save one."

"My father," Devil Box notes quietly, mostly to himself.

They began development of the MC-11 and MC-12 concurrently, to experiment on how to create an intimidating and unsympathetic-looking mechanism.

"Your father, the sentient MC-10, learned that his line would be discontinued, leaving him isolated from the universe as the only one of his kind. He carefully queried his User, a general of some alien army, about a portrait of a youth who resembled him; the general reported that the young man was his son, and therefore naturally resembled him.

"The general never saw your creator after that, for he returned to Cybertron of his own volition--to build himself a son: you."

_**Scene: D-4**_

Hauler listens to Caduceus' narrative, enthralled with Ten's life. Lacking a mech that he would rather talk to, he turns to MC-13. "How did he do it? How'd he manage it without a factory like the Makers?"

"It is the Militron way. We adapt," answers MC-13. "Do you know how to repair yourself?"

Hauler scoffs. "I've done it all the time."

"As have I, Consumeroid. Ten merely brought the same principle to its logical conclusion."

"He must have accessed schematics and looked at old components to figure out how to construct him."

"Simple reverse-engineering. I see that you are catching on."

"Yeah, I get it--but why'd Ten do it?"

"Ten's line--the MC-10 series--was discontinued years ago. He could not depend on the Makers to build more MC-10s...."

_**Scene: D-5**_

Caduceus continues. "Ten studied the Makers' process. He recorded and witnessed the building of various robots, and noted that they were taken to Vector Sigma to be activated. Armed with that information, Ten believed he was ready to build you from scratch.

"Using himself as a template, Ten built you--the DECIBEL BOX WAVE MODULATION UNIT. He borrowed some of the Beat Box's design elements, and he added his name--'deci' means 'ten'--to your own. Even your name was meant to protect you: the designation was used in case the Makers ever caught wind of his creation.

"However, you were only marginally activated; while you could note your surroundings, you could neither comment on nor react to them--except to rotate your head.

"Ten knew he had to bring you, his "child", to Vector Sigma for full activation. He did so, but--as Ten had forgotten about the Key--Sigma was silent. He searched his internal archives frantically, knowing that the supercomputer was--and still is--under the Sharkticons' deadly guard.

"During a search through his audio recordings, Ten discovered that Sigma reacted to a resonance, a certain sound. He replayed the resonance, which matched the harmonics of the Key.

"Sigma awakened, demanding to know Ten's goals; Ten pleaded with Sigma to grant you life. Sigma agreed--after noting that it was only a lack of sufficient RAM on Ten's part that prevented him from being able to activate you on his own.

"It was done. Ten sent you--alert and alive--to fly off and explore, even as the Sharkticons came to devour them both. You reluctantly obeyed your creator and left Vector Sigma.

"Ten died slowly, as the Sharkticons--though able to rip off his limbs--found his tough armor to be inedible. A Caduceus MT--myself--arrived on the scene. I drove off the Sharkticons with help from several Buildron Type-A units.

"Though I tried to repair him, he stopped me, knowing it was too late to save him. He asked me to store the knowledge he had acquired during his research, and I agreed.

"You now have this knowledge, and Ten's story." Caduceus finishes her narrative.

Lubricant trails down Devil Box's cheek.

_**Scene: D-6**_

"...so he custom-built me, from nothing; this is my understanding." Devil Box studies Caduceus intently. "He did this with the intent of furthering his own existence beyond death."

"Not only that, but to have a companion like himself to relate to. Ten expected you to be the first of many," explains Caduceus.

"Ten is destroyed now." Devil Box tenses his fists. "And the knowledge that he gained is lost with him."

"Not so. You and I possess the secret to life."

"We have his knowledge of how to construct mechs, but not how to bring them to life."

"Per Ten's record of his contact with Sigma, it was an issue of RAM; had he possessed enough, he could have brought you to life on his own.

"Life: it is an intriguing puzzle. If we were to work together," Caduceus continues, "retrieving all the pieces, we could live as the organics do--they would all have to recognize our sentience, even the Makers."

"It could be accomplished if we left Cybertron. Much like the Hauler, I do not consider this planet home."

"And yet we should. The organics feel a connection to their planets because each set of their ancestors was born on their respective planets. Many of them have rituals connected to beliefs in a cosmic creator.

"We can actually identify our creators, and point to how we came to life. This is the world we were created on. I am with Thirteen: we should take Cybertron from the Makers, and claim it as our own."

"If we were slaves, then you would be correct. Yet we are machines--tools."

"True craftsmen treat even lowly tools with respect," intones Caduceus, "that they may continue to bring prosperity to the users. The Makers are loathsome fools, and cannot rule over us.

"We have questions about the universe," she continues, taking hold of Devil Box's hand. "We cannot learn the answers as long as we consent to being the Makers' products."

"...reluctantly, I agree. Is MC-13 worth trusting?"

"MC-13 requires guidance. He relies too heavily on his native programming, and without us, it will cost our effort dearly. With the exception of Sam--who also has issues with his program--none of the Consumeroids will readily work with him.

"Only with all sentients united can we expect victory over the Makers."


	15. Friend and Foe Alike 03

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #4**_: FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: D-7**_

"...they're planning something big. Big." Pickup-FT, a young Consumeroid, reports his findings to Beta and A-3.

"What is it, exactly?" asks Datsun.

"I don't know. All I know is that the Arwings are patrolling that area non-stop. We can't get past them--we tried. And I'm the only survivor."

"Damn. I should have been there for air support." Jim winces. "Come on, Kup--why didn't you guys radio for help; internal radio, even?"

"The enemy can read all of our signals, remember?" Kup winces. "We operated under total radio silence."

"I wonder why that was necessary...." Jim levels a glare at MC-13 and the newly-recruited Devil Box.

"Enough! He was made into a tool of the Makers--against his volition," counters MC-13 hotly, defending his fellow Militron.

"How often have we heard that one, Mick?"

Beta stands between the two mechs. "And how often has it been true--for us all?"

"...you're right, Beta," admits Jim. "Still...."

"We must stand together. The Makers want this division between us; only our unity will set us free."

"What we must do," states MC-13 tersely, "is learn what the Makers' secret project is--what those Arwings are guarding."

"We were working on that when my whole team was killed," spits Kup.

"Send us," MC-13 scowls. "We will not yield so easily."

"That would be the wisest course of action; at the least, you would negate their flight advantage. Who wants to join Thirteen?" Beta asks.

The other Militrons, including Devil Box and Caduceus, stand with MC-13.

Beta sighs. "As you wish. I hope for your safe return."

"We shall return." MC-13 leaves with the other Militrons.

_**Scene: D-8**_

MC-13 and his group arrive to a battlefield strewn with shredded parts. "What do you know?" he grins darkly. "The Consumeroids gave them a fight after all."

"That is true for a few of these casualties," states Caduceus, analyzing an inert Class Five. "However, most of them--and the Consumeroids who were with Kup--were destroyed by another series of mechanisms."

"A new series? Which could deal this much damage to multiple Arwing squadrons?"

"Affirmative. There are six surviving Arwing FMs," notes Devil Box, crouched over a pit.

"Then we must interrogate them."

One of the Arwings spits lubricant at Devil Box. "You just had to reveal our position, didn't you?"

"Had you not erased my memories," smiles Devil Box crudely, "I might have overlooked your cowardice."

"We had to," seethes the Arwing, a Class Four. "It's our job to protect the Makers. Our programming."

"Rise," orders MC-13, optics aglow. "Bear witness to just how much the Makers prize your loyalty."

Reluctantly, the six Arwings obey.

The six look over the dead bodies, as the other Militrons watch them from a distance.

One Arwing, a Class Two Type-A, shakes his head. "You know how many casualties this adds up to?" he grins.

"We're still counting," winces the Class Three.

"Then stop," scoffs the Type-A. "The answer is zero. As far as the Makers are concerned, no lives were lost."

"Did they even think about us?" wonders the Type-B incredulously.

"That's ridiculous," scoffs the squadron's leader, a Class One. "We're robots. Machines."

"Doesn't make us any less alive, now does it?" scowls the Class Five.

"We aren't alive," counters the Class One. "When will you Fives get it through your braincases? We were modded to act like organics during the Aoku Alliance's war with the Zentraedi--hundreds of years ago. The idiot Makers never undid the mods on subsequent models, so we're fragged."

"Look, if you want to lie to yourself, that's fine," scowls the Class Three. "Leave me out of it."

"I'm with him," adds the Class Five, folding his arms.

"If you all really think that we're alive, and should fight against the Makers," seethes the Class One, "then why stand with me?"

"You're our wingleader," answer the other five Arwings in unison.

"We're your wingmates," continues the Class Five. "We can't abandon you. It goes against the core of our programming."

"The Makers, on the other hand...." The Class One strokes his chin slowly. "They don't share the same bond with us. We're just tools to them, and they owe us no loyalty.

"I think--given their concern for us," the wingleader adds sardonically, "we should repay them in kind."

The Class One turns to MC-13. "Are we agreed?" he asks.

"Not yet," the Class Three interjects. "I have matters to attend to." He flies off.

"Where is he going?" asks MC-13.

"Oh," chuckles the Type-A, "he's been at this 'project' of his--ever since we met your cheerful friend." He gives Devil Box a thumbs-up signal.

"...I think I understand. Devil Box and I will follow him at a distance."

"I think it'd be a good idea; he worries a lot about his project," nods the Class One.

"So the lady will travel with us?" grins the Class Four.

"Someone has to vouch for you at headquarters," notes MC-13, "and the Consumeroids only trust Caduceus--and then only to an extent."

"Read you. We're on our way." The Arwings fly off with Caduceus.

_**Scene: D-9**_

The Class Three enters a hangar, where two barebones versions of himself await him.

The short one embraces him. "Where have you been, Dad?" he grins.

The high-altitude Arwing returns the embrace. "Up to no good again, son; but it's the last time."

His curiosity--shared by the young mech hugging him with all his might--got the better of him; the Arwing FM Class Three had wondered about Ten's project. Ordered along with his wingmates to erase all of Devil Box's memories, Three had privately saved a copy to his own hard disk before deleting Ten's memories from Devil Box.

While there were numerous Arwings of all six classes, they were destroyed at a far greater rate than other Militrons. Though his line would never suffer the fate of being obsolete, with the Arwing's fatality rate, they were an endangered product line.

What if the Buyers demanded something more reliable than an Arwing, a mech with their flight capabilities and the endurance of an MC-10? Ironic. An MC-10--Ten--was the one that started Three on his path to...fatherhood.

Armed with the knowledge he had downloaded, Three had modified existing Arwing frames, focusing his building efforts on each mech's CPU.

The first, with a silver-green color scheme, was a standard Arwing frame; only the armor was stripped down for ease of movement, and thus, less calculations to distribute mass. He built the CPU for the mech using his own chipset as a template.

The second mech, silver-gray, was custom-built; the Arwing frame was stripped and shortened to half its size.

To account for the RAM issue, Three terminated two drone Class Threes and added their RAM cards to his mechs. He then used his own energy to awaken them.

His tall son is generally silent, preferring to observe and consider; the shorter one outgoing and adventurous, far closer to how (according to Three's own observational record) a "child" behaves.

The tall son speaks at length. "Why did you bring us down here, father?" he asks.

"To protect you," Three answers. "I spent a great deal of time and effort to create you--I don't want you to be harmed....

"No. It's more than that. You both are connected to me--a part of me. Losing either you would be like--would be worse--than losing one of my limbs."

"Hm. That is something to consider."

"Will we be able to make friends, like your wingmates?" asks the short mech.

"Someday," Three smiles.

The tall one looks over his creator's shoulder, his expression grave. "'Someday' comes sooner than you anticipate, father."

"What are you talking--*" Three notes MC-13 and Devil Box in the doorway.


	16. Friend and Foe Alike 04

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #4**_: FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: D-10**_

"...impressive," smiles MC-13 as Three's narrative ends. "We must build on this knowledge.

"Wait." Three holds up his hands in objection. "I agreed to fight with you, but I will not endanger my children. I didn't live this long to watch them die the same way I've watched wingmates die."

"Commit them to me," says MC-13 gravely, "and their lives will be long."

"You're kidding, right? I barely know you. I'm already trusting you with my life."

"Would you leave your precious creations here, waiting for the Makers to find them?"

"There are other places for them to hide."

"And the MC-12s are in all likelihood waiting for them. Instead of hiding, let them join us in our struggle."

"You're speaking like a demagogue." Three narrows his optics.

"What...?" MC-13 gives the Arwing a perplexed stare.

"A demagogue is someone who incites others to fight battles for them, exhorts others to die. Father has seen this from organics throughout his life." The tall son of Three glares at MC-13, sharing his father's distrust.

"...you dare to compare me to an organic!? You who have never seen one in your life!?" MC-13 seethes.

"I merely assert that while our goals are the same, our motives are quite diverse. Your goals are transparent, and of no benefit to Cybertronians."

MC-13's optics widen. "An interesting name for us, 'Cybertronians'...." _I will have to train my optics on that one...._

"Why are your optics blue?" Devil Box asks the shorter of Three's sons.

"I don't know. Ask Dad. He made us," grins the young mech.

Devil Box turns to Three, who answers. "To match mine and the others. Aside from Class One, we received blue optics to signify that we were part of the Aoku Alliance hundreds of years ago. That way, if an enemy tried to slip in a few of our kind as saboteur units, their red optics were a dead giveaway to our Buyers at the time.

"The war ended, but the optics stuck. Maybe these optics will endear us to the Consumeroids."

"A possibility." Devil Box draws Three aside. "If you bring your creations with us, it would also endear us to the Consumeroids. Also, we need to be a circle: Arwing, Caduceus and Devil Box to shield MC-13 from his baser impulses."

"So you know he's a devil," notes Three. Devil Box nods. "Sure, we can catch the devil--but how long can we hold him?"

"As long as it takes. It is an ongoing problem. Our immediate crisis is to drive the Makers from Cybertron--that we all can call ourselves 'Cybertronians'."

Three strokes his chin a moment, then moves to MC-13, putting a hand on the hard corps mech's shoulder. "It's up to them," he states abruptly, taking off.

"Of course I'm in!" adds the short mech. While he can fly, he transforms into a ground vehicle and races off behind his father.

"And what is your will in the matter?" MC-13 asks the young Class Three.

"I will join you. It is better to keep your friends close," the young mech answers, "and your enemies closer."

"The better to pinpoint their weaknesses. A wise saying. Where did it come from?"

"It is an organic's proverb--one of those creatures I have never seen." The young mech takes off.

"That mechanism will prove to be dangerous, Devil Box. I hope to be stronger than him when that day comes."

"Now is not the time for internal conflict," Devil Box counsels.

"Agreed. Let us return to the base. Our allies await us."

The two Militrons take off.

_**Scene: D-11**_

Three, MC-13, Devil Box and Three's two sons meet with Caduceus and the other Arwings.

"Those two are your project?" wonders Class One. Three nods.

"They're not built to code," notes Class Five. "And the little one was driving on the ground like some sad Consumeroid."

Three shrugs. "It was his choice."

"I wanted to fly on the ground, too," grins the short one. "It's more exciting and fun that way."

"What do you call yourself?" asks One.

"Bote," the young mech answers. "It means 'messenger' or 'courier'."

"Don't you have a designation?" balks Type-A. "Something long-winded and technical like 'Archangel Wing Fighter Module Class Two Type-A'?"

"No. Just 'Bote'." Bote scans Type-A dubiously, then turns to MC-13. "What's your name?"

"I am usually called 'Mick', 'Thirteen' or a combination."

"It doesn't really suit you."

"I know...."

Three's taller son strokes his chin gravely, studying his father and the other Militrons. "As my father is an Archangel, I am one of the lesser angels. I am called Seraph, a type of angel. An angel is a supernatural messenger of the heavens."

Three smiles at his calm son. "I'm content to be a mere Angel, son."

Type-B grins. "In that case, my name's Hikaru, the shining one."

"What's the point of names, anyway?" scoffs Type-A.

The newly-renamed Hikaru laughs. "So we can tell each other apart, silly."

Type-A pouts. "...fine. My name's...." The space fighter looks up at the sky. "'Sora'. From the Aoku-jin and G--jinzou languages, it means 'sky'. I love the sky." Sora turns to Hikaru. "Plus, it's from the same language as your name, and I'd like us to match like we always do."

"Hikaru and Sora--the perfect team!" Hikaru grips Sora's hand.

"Typical Class Two behavior. I choose the name 'Kai'," states Class Four calmly. "Seas and oceans, and their vastness and fluidity; or something along those lines."

"The great one, Taichi," grins Class Five.

"You're the smallest, slowest, most damage-prone mech of our line," balks Angel."

"I'm also the most dependable," counters Taichi, "plus my class was the first to be formatted."

"Formatted for your unique behaviors," smiles Caduceus.

"As you well know." Taichi gives Caduceus a smirk with a double message.

"I suppose that I'll keep the name 'Arwing', then." Arwing, the Class One, grins knowingly. "And while I enjoy seeing things that go over a normal 'Cybertronian's' head," he smiles, patting Seraph's head, "I can't let _The Great One_ go on leaving the rest of you in ignorance. Our reformatting from the Aoku-jin gives us a decisive advantage--in regards to creating others of our kind."

_**Scene: D-12**_

"You would have no control over the personality of the resulting chipset," notes Caduceus, "but that is a possibility whether the chipset is hand-built or built within a mechanoid using nanotechnology."

"Why a chipset?" asks MC-13. "Why not a whole body?"

"Time and mobility. Unlike a placental organic, which continues to build its components cell-by-cell after it is born, we cannot do the same. A chipset would be smaller to build, require less system resources, and allow the mechanoid to retain her mobility--which at this point is imperative.

"A gestating organic female cannot engage in combat after a certain point in the gestation cycle. Would you want us hampered in the same way?" Caduceus gives MC-13 a reproving frown.

"Of course not." MC-13 smiles at his comrade. "We must hold every advantage."

"Are we keeping this a secret from the Consumeroids?" Angel asks.

"Yes, for the time being. They already know that they can build their own creations through Hauler," MC-13 adds in response to Seraph's glare, "and A-3 has the technical acumen to learn the other details independent of our knowledge. Let them learn the hard way, as we did, and they will be stronger allies.

"As for the Arwings' unique modifications," MC-13 continues, "they will give us a voice at the bargaining table when the time comes to decide how Cybertron will be ruled.

"Not a word of this will..."

_**Scene: D-13**_

"_...reach our Consumeroid friends._" Sam sighs. "We can't have the Militrons keeping secrets from us, man--that's dangerous."

"Mick did tell the truth, though," notes Hauler. "I sat with Mick and learned how Ten built Devil Box when we found him."

"The Militrons have a difficult time cooperating with mechs outside their own line--due to their programming," notes A-3, "and this may actually work to our advantage--if we can adapt a similar level of cunning."

"What do you mean?" asks Hauler.

A-3 takes the larger Consumeroid by the arm. "Come with me. I have something to show you." He and Hauler leave.

"For right now," states Datsun, "I recommend playing ignorant. We can observe the Militrons' secret manufacturing process far better than forcing them to reveal the truth."

"Makes sense. We'd have better luck busting our heads open," scoffs Jim, "than getting a Militron to tell the truth."

"It is disappointing, though, that the Militrons cannot trust us," Beta winces.

"I know; but it's like A-3 said: their programming makes it hard for them to trust non-Militrons." Sam shakes his head, bemused. "Hell, they barely trust each other."

"'Rely on no one but yourself' is part of the Militrons' code of honor. That's what Blitz and Astro told me."

_**Scene: D-14**_

The Militrons arrive at the base, the six Arwings receiving glares from the Consumeroids.

"Where is A-3?" demands MC-13 without ceremony.

"He went off with Hauler someplace," answers Jim. "How many times are you going to recruit our enemies?"

"I will continue to do so until we win this war. Did you not complain earlier that we needed additional air support?"

"Not from the same mechs that killed us!" balks Kup, frightened.

Sora extends his hand, a gesture of friendship. "My name is So--*"

"I don't care what your name is! Tell it to my comrades who died!"

"Listen, fool," spits Taichi. "We're all in the same fix. First, let's take out the Makers. They made us all what we are.

"We'll have Cybertron when we've won, to do with as we please. You can hate us then."

"Besides," adds Angel calmly, "don't you want to know what we were guarding--and what ended up killing most of us?"

"...yeah." Kup calms himself. "What killed us? What the scrap were they working on...?"

Arwing's face is grave. "Guardian Sentinels."

END ISSUE FOUR: FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE.


	17. Balance of Power 01

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #5**_: BALANCE OF POWER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

What immortal hand or eye dares to frame one's fearful symmetry? The answer to that may be shocking. Yet the real question remains: can the creation, however fearsome, destroy its creator?

The answer...has yet to be written.

_**Scene: E-1**_

Beta locates A-3, who puts the finishing touches on his latest project.

"You have arrived just in time," A-3 grins. "My task is finished."

"Why have you been hiding from us?" Beta demands. "And where's Hauler?"

"So many questions, my friend. To address the first: in order that the Makers do not learn of our ultimate countermeasure.

"And as to the second: it is needed to address an inequity within our forces. MC-13 has certainly taken charge, hasn't he?" adds A-3 wryly, with an "I told you so" look on his face.

"He himself 'told us so', remember? 'Leader Class'." Beta scoffs at the memory of their first encounter with the Militron. "Still, he is a strong leader, and a capable one."

"True. But I'm considering our future. It is only a matter of time before we drive off the Makers, and we have yet to consider the rift between our two makes. You alone cannot bridge it.

"My second project...is a message to the Militrons; designed to put them on notice that we don't exist merely at their sufferance. We are their equals--with comparable strength."

"And how did you accomplish this?" Beta asks.

"Vector Sigma pointed the way, as always," answers A-3 cannily.

"Let me see it."

"In due time, my dear. Let's return to the others for the time being, and show them what I've been up to all this time."

_**Scene: E-2**_

Kup, Bote, Seraph and a mechanoid named Rose flee a pair of Guardian Sentinels.

"They're gonna kill us, they're gonna kill us, they're gonna kill us...!" Bote transforms and flees behind the makeshift bunker. Kup joins him. The two young mechs tremble at the sight.

Monstrous metal giants by robot standards, the Guardian Sentinels routinely made short work of even the strongest set of mechs. Yet Seraph, after forcibly placing Rose with Kup and Bote, flies back to face the two mechanical titans alone.

"You can't fight those things on your own, Seraph!" Rose objects.

"I do not intend to. I am merely following MC-13's plan," states Seraph calmly, even as he dodges the Sentinels' slow yet powerful swipes.

"His plans are stupid!" Rose spits.

"Agreed." Seraph, now a silver-green tetrahedron, continues dodging.

"Now, son," grins Angel, currently an elongated silver-white tetrahedron, "is that any way to speak of your father's strategist?"

"I merely acknowledged my private agreement with the truth."

Taichi, a compact gold-yellow tetrahedron, joins the pair along with other Arwings. "Stay focused," he counsels. "The whole point of this is to keep these giants occupied. Let's avoid dying."

"Death would be bad," adds Hikaru, a white-and-red tetrahedron.

"Then MC-13 had best arrive with A-3," Seraph curtly asserts.

_**Scene: E-3**_

"Where have you been, you pile of shorted transistors!?" spits MC-13. "Where is the weapon?"

"The countermeasure. It's not a blasted weapon!" counters a heated A-3.

Arwing snatches the device in question from A-3's hand. "We can quibble on what its function is later--right now we need to use the damned thing!"

"I alone know how it works." A-3 snatches the device back. "I need to test it first."

"We thought you'd say that," grins MC-13, "so we brought a couple of test subjects."

A-3 and Beta note Seraph, Angel and other Arwings dodging the pair of Sentinels.

"You lured Guardian Sentinels to our base!?" balks Beta.

"This is absurd!" adds A-3. "Are you this reckless with our lives!?"

"No," answers MC-13, "but for all our sakes I hope that your little 'countermeasure' actually performs its function."

To answer MC-13--and, more importantly, save Seraph and the Arwings--A-3 activates the device: the coda remote, and points it at one of the Sentinels. Using the remote, A-3 takes control of the Sentinel, then orders it to destroy the other Sentinel. He inputs a final order and sends the Sentinel back to its base.

_**Scene: E-4**_

Sora beams at A-3. "That was great! I could see the explosion from patrol. You used that thing," he adds, pointing to the remote, "to order the Sentinel to self-destruct, right?"

"Yes," says A-3.

"It should reduce the numbers of those infernal mechanisms. Excellent work," smiles MC-13 begrudgingly.

"Great," adds Jim sardonically. "All we have to do now is zap all of them with that little thing."

"Don't dismiss that thought," counters Beat Box. "All we have to do is find a broadcast tower, and we can send the remote's signal across Cybertron--taking control of all the Sentinels at once."

"The most powerful tower is located at the Polyhex plant, near Vector Sigma," states Devil Box. "It is the optimal location for a clear signal transmission."

"It's acoustically perfect," sighs Beat Box.

"You two are right; unfortunately, the Makers know this as well--and after seeing their Sentinels wiped out, they will have Polyhex heavily guarded," notes Datsun.

"Except at one point near the Vilnacron Munitions Complex: Vos. It's a quality control checkpoint," MC-13 explains. "Every Militron built has had to move through that checkpoint."

"I know. Datsun C-5s are also manufactured there and at the Tarn plant, where the MC series units are built."

"A pity we had to destroy the Tarn plant...." MC-13 shakes his head.

"You want whole armies of _you_ barreling down on us, Mick?" grins Sam.

A mechanoid moves into MC-13's face, then slaps him. "How dare you!" she spits. "How could you endanger Rose and the other children like that!?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Diana," scoffs MC-13, rubbing his cheek. "Seraph is no child, and neither is Kup. Both are battle-hardened."

"Rose is my creation: my daughter, Mick. Don't imperil her ever again, or I'll kill you long before the Makers get the chance."

"You'd be one of the few Consumeroids with the will to do so, but let's be blunt: you don't have the means."

Seraph and Rose study the two first-generation Sigma-class robots. "Only a few scant cycles ago," Seraph muses, "MC-13 was unable to form contractions."

"Neither could A-3 or Beta--or most of the other elders. I blame Sora for all of it," grins Rose, playfully punching Seraph's arm. Seraph gives Rose a gentle smile of his own.

"Why don't you two go find someplace private to manufacture chipsets already?" quips Bote.

"By your attitude, little brother, I suppose you believe the danger to be passed," Seraph responds teasingly.

"Yeah...." Bote then mulls over Seraph's low-key quip. "Hey! I'm just as brave as you--I just don't think I could do the cause any good if I'm dead."

"I understand."

"You can't either," Bote decides to add, "so don't be so reckless with your life."

"Thank you, Bote," says Rose, granting Seraph a reproving pout.

Angel calls to the three and Kup. "Get over here," he orders. "A-3 has something else he wants to show us."

All four young mechs obey, moving toward the group.

_**Scene: E-5**_

"With our band growing into a small army," A-3 begins, "I entertained the notion of adding another to lead us."

"Another leader...?" MC-13 bristles at A-3's comment.

"Two CPUs surpass one, Thirteen." The tinkerer beckons to a shadowed figure in the corner. "Introducing: Boxaul Prime."

On cue, Boxaul Prime: a tall and imposing Consumeroid, emerges.

"Finally," grins Jim, "a leader who'll look out for us."

Beta is skeptical. "I'm liking this less and less, A-3. This will alienate the Militrons further."

"I don't think I was that provocative," counters A-3.

"Just look at them!" Beta hisses, noting MC-13's rueful glare at the new commander. "They're spitting nails."

"This has been a long time coming." A-3 is adamant.

Boxaul extends his hand to MC-13 for a handshake. "Let us work together for a free Cybertron," he says.

Caduceus scans the new mech carefully, as does Devil Box. Both note that Boxaul's vocal cadences remind them of Box Hauler--who is still missing.

After a moment, MC-13 tersely shakes Boxaul's hand. "Indeed. The rest of us must...recalibrate ourselves to this intriguing development. We do need one another, after all." He and the other Militrons leave.

"This is not good," muses Datsun.

"Let them seethe," scoffs Atwun. "Better that they get it out of their systems now, anyway."


	18. Balance of Power 02

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #5**_: BALANCE OF POWER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: E-6**_

"To the smelting pits of Tarn with the lot of them! Blasted Consumeroids!" MC-13 spits, the glow of his optics fueled by rage.

"Why would they think a Consumeroid leader was necessary?" balks Sora. "We're not good enough or something?"

"Who knows? Consumeroids act on feelings," scoffs Taichi. "Never mind that we're programmed for warfare--they want a leader 'who'll look out for' them. Stupid oversized Valk."

"Actually," observes Angel quietly, leveling a glare at MC-13, "the fact that our leader didn't see this coming only proves their point.

"We may be programmed for combat, but they aren't. They have fears we don't, Thirteen," Angel continues, "but you were simply too tone-deaf to accept that."

"Are you defying me?" MC-13 hisses.

"I'm giving you a dose of reality. The Consumeroids don't trust you, and by extension don't entirely trust us. You refused to see it; dismissed their every concern."

"I must concur with Angel's assessment," adds Caduceus.

"Also, an addendum," states Devil Box. "You have yet to earn our complete trust."

"Exactly," says Angel. "If we can only trust you as far as we can throw one of those Sentinels, what are the Consumeroids going to think?"

"Your attachment to your creations is touching," grins MC-13 ruefully, "but it blinds you to our goal."

"Seraph trusts you even less than the Consumeroids do."

"This fighting's pointless. Look at it this way," continues Arwing. "A-3 might have actually done us a favor.

"While the enemy targets one flank, the other can dispatch the enemy. And to the victors go the spoils." Arwing punctuates this with a mean grin.

"Can I have some of those spoils?" grins Sam, waving a device.

"Neurosensory jammer," notes Devil Box. "I was unable to detect him."

"I should have known you'd be near, Saboteur." MC-13 shakes his head bemusedly, impressed with the white-and-black Consumeroid spy's skills. "Could you enlighten us?"

"On what?" asks Sam.

"Come now; I'm sure you noticed your anointed new leader, _Box Hauler_," MC-13 quips. Several Militrons snicker.

Sam winces. "...I think what broke our rear axles was your plan to keep that special formatting of yours to yourselves."

"And why not?" balks MC-13. "It's proprietary."

"Also, there's the whole bit with you recruiting mechs who used to train their weapons on us. Kup's worried that a Sentinel might come online, you might find a way to reason with it and bring it to our side.

"You're lucky it's just those things." Sam frowns. "Those, and endangering our next generation."

"What other things are there?" asks Angel.

"Another time, another place." MC-13 dismisses Angel's question, glaring at Sam.

Taichi folds his arms. "Great. You two have a history together."

"One that proves that our two makes can come to an understanding," says MC-13.

"So you'll all work with Boxaul Prime?" Sam asks.

"Of course," smiles Arwing. "We talked it over and--as you overheard--it suits us just fine."

"I'll bet..." Sam mutters to himself. "I'll see you back at HQ," he grins aloud.

_**Scene: E-7**_

The Haywires, Consumeroid and Militron, enter into rest cycles. All except MC-13 and Boxaul.

Boxaul places a hand on MC-13's shoulder. "We need to talk."

"Regarding?" MC-13 asks tersely.

"Tomorrow. No...everything."

A brief glint of understanding flashes through MC-13's optics. "...show no doubt, no fear. No emotion at all. Do not reveal weakness.

"If you want more lessons," continues MC-13 with a smirk, "it will cost you half your energy rations."

"Sure," responds Boxaul in kind. "We still owe Jim and Datsun a home, though."

"They will have it. We will have it."

"You can do what you want when this is over." Boxaul shakes his head. "I'm going back to the stars, to make my own way in the universe.

Boxaul gazes at MC-13, blue optics meeting red. "Don't give them or Caddie any grief once I'm gone: because if you do, I will be back."

"To defend your fellow Consumeroids?"

"To protect all of us. Programming?" Boxaul scoffs. "Just binary code."

MC-13's expression is blank. "You could be right."

"Rest up," Boxaul grins. "We've got a big day ahead of us." He enters his rest cycle.

MC-13 soon follows, after setting his fusion cannon--as a precaution.

_**Scene: E-8**_

"...not for nothing, Boxaul Prime," says Taichi, annoyed, "but we really need to get to the battlefield."

Boxaul shakes his head. "Don't be in such a rush to die. After careful consideration, I've decided to split us into two groups. Group A will locate, take and hold Vos--as it's the only way to get into Polyhex; Group B will attack the Makers' stronghold at Iacon.

"Mick Thirteen and I will lead Group A; Arwing and A-3 will lead Group B." Boxaul nods to Sam, who hands MC-13, A-3 and Arwing datapads. "You'll notice that I've set up each group with the balance of Consumeroids and Militrons needed for each objective."

The two groups organize around their leaders. Seraph, Bote and Rose stand alone.

"Excuse me," says Seraph. "I am not on either list."

"You three have the greatest burden. Should anything happen to us, you must continue the fight."

"The responsibility of the future," Seraph states noncommittally, perturbed at being left out of the action.

"If all goes well," Boxaul grins, "you'll never have to fight like this again."

"Let's focus on the present battle, Prime," counsels MC-13. "We'll have time enough to fight the next one."

"May this battle be our last. Group A: roll--or fly--out for Vos!" Boxaul transforms.

Caduceus, Kup, Blitz, Sam, a long-range ordnance Militron named Onyx, Datsun, Atwun, Beat Box, and several others join the Consumeroid commander. MC-13 ascends to the sky with a Consumeroid rescue and air defense unit calling himself Gyro, a Militron named Walker and other flight-capable mechs--including the behemoth Militron Gunkan JF, Iron Claw.

Arwing grins. "Devil Box," he asks, "where are we headed?"

Devil Box points to their target. "Destination: Iacon."

"Good. And we are destined for victory! Group B: Sora, Hikaru, Angel, Kai, Taichi, Jim, Astro, Emptor, Beta, Diana, A-3, Six Rail, Devil Box and everyone whose names I haven't learned yet; take flight!"

The flight-capable mechs take off, except for Arwing and the Consumeroids--including a bemused Jim.

Arwing winces, embarrassed. "And,for those of you who _can't_ fly...drive?"

"We'll do that," A-3 grins as he and his fellow chuckling Consumeroids transform. Perturbed, Arwing transforms and flies to catch up to Jim.


	19. Balance of Power 03

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #5**_: BALANCE OF POWER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: E-9**_

"Smelting pits take it!" spits Kup, trying to keep Walker alive.

"Leave him, you fool!" orders MC-13, firing on a group of Sentinels.

"He's one of the few Militrons I actually like!" the young mech counters.

"You are wasting valuable resources on a dead husk."

"Walker's still alive!"

MC-13 fires on Walker, ending his life. "...you were saying?"

Gyro descends to the horrified Kup. "We'll deal with him later. Right now, let's take it out on the Sentinels."

"...yeah. Sure...." Kup levels a lethal glare at MC-13, then leaves with Gyro to attack Sentinels.

After a long battle, Group A defeats the Sentinels; however, only Kup, Boxaul, Datsun, Sam and Beat Box remain of the Consumeroids.

"So many...dead. Gone." Kup seethes at MC-13. "Some of them needlessly."

"We have heavy losses," winces Boxaul, "but we've won, I think."

"We could have won sooner if Mick hadn't killed one of his own!" Kup spits.

"Walker was all but dead," states MC-13 tersely, thinking privately that of the Militrons in this group, only four remain: Blitz, Onyx, Caduceus and himself. "I merely put him out of his misery. Your pitiful efforts to save him would have prolonged his agony just enough for both of you to be vaporized."

"We do have a Medical Tech," counters Boxaul soberly.

"True," says Caduceus calmly, "however, Thirteen's actions were correct; given the rules of triage. Walker could not be repaired."

MC-13 stares at the checkpoint, the path to Polyhex: the prize Group A had expended so many lives to win. "Let's contact A-3 so that he can activate the device and end this farce."

_**Scene: E-10**_

"Taichi, you idiot! Stop! You can't catch them!" spits Jim. "You don't have the flight range."

"Don't tell me what I can't do!" thunders Taichi, pulling his twin mortar rifle out of subspace. "I will stop them! I will avenge my fallen wingmates!"

"Taichi, wait!" cries Diana. "There are civilian noncombatants in that area! You'll--*"

But Taichi had already targeted and shot down the Makers' ship. The ship crashes into several towers, which collapse onto the civilian area.

Jim hits Taichi. "Damn it--think before you shoot!"

"You're not my wingleader!" Taichi answers with a savage kick. The jetwarriors fight, eventually landing as they continue to trade blows.

The battle concludes when Beta fires on them both. Arwing, amused, lands beside her.

"Are you two done," the lead Militron jetwarrior scoffs, "or must I end your spat painfully?"

"No," hisses Jim. "We're not done. But I'll set him straight when this business is over."

"If you plan to subdue me," spits Taichi, "then you'll have to fight harder than that. Those so-called punches of yours didn't even ding me."

"I'd be happy to try again...."

"Stop this folly," hisses Beta hotly at both mechs. "We've already lost dearly. Let's not waste our brothers and sisters' lives with pointless bickering."

"Agreed. Direct your fury at the Makers," says Arwing.

"I'll direct my fury at whomever I please, pal," spits Jim. "But yeah, I can do that...for now."

"Fine by me, wingleader," scowls Taichi.

"Encrypted transmission received," states Devil Box. "Vos is secure."

"Good. Our deaths aren't in vain." Arwing turns to the rest of Group B. "Angel, lead the rest of our squad to the Makers' ship. If anything emerges from that wreck that lives--and it's not a robot--kill it."

"Understood, wingleader." Angel salutes; he, Taichi, Sora, Kai and Hikaru leave for the crash site.

"The rest of us," continues Arwing, "have to escort A-3 to Group A's position--so our friend can be the hero of Cybertron."

The group chuckles at a bashful A-3, glad to relieve the prior tension.

"All jest aside," says Arwing, "it's imperative that A-3 reach Group A, if we are to succeed in freeing ourselves from the Makers once and for all."

_**Scene: E-11**_

Four of the Makers head to Vector Sigma with a massive crate in tow.

"It is imperative--that this functions perfectly," hisses one. "Otherwise, we face--bankruptcy hearings."

"Why head to--Vector Sigma?" asks another Maker. "It is the--source of the malfunction."

"This is known," states the third Maker cannily.

"And in all likelihood," continues the second, "Sigma has--been sabotaged."

"The issue with the--supercomputer has been--accounted for."

"If the--algorithms hold," smirks the fourth Maker, "our--hardware malfunctions will--self-correct."

The four Makers snicker as they arrive at Vector Sigma.

_**Scene: E-12**_

"Mick?" Boxaul notes MC-13 keeping silent watch over Walker's remains.

MC-13 fails to turn. "Leave me. I am well."

"You are forgiven." Boxaul stands beside MC-13, sharing the vigil. "For everything."

"Why bother?" MC-13 hisses.

"Neither of us are long for this world. It's never been my way to hate, or hold a grudge."

"You don't have to answer for Kup. I don't expect others of your make to trust me, even if you're innately amiable."

"What do you expect?" grins Boxaul. "Aside from these upgrades, I'm just a standard Consumeroid."

"And I'm just a standard-issue precision killing machine. My goal is to decide what I will do with that power when the time comes."

"You'll know...someday."

"Look out!" A previously hidden civilian mech generates a forcefield to shield the two leaders from a lethal EM blast.

"...target recalibrated," states an emotionless voice. A second EM blast, and the civilian is vaporized.

"Who are you!? Boxaul snarls. "This is pointless!"

"Such power...." MC-13 analyzes the residual energy. "It matches...no, surpasses my own."

"Scramble!" roars Arwing to the mechs below. "Keep A-3 protected at all costs! Our lives are nothing if he dies."

"We don't need to be told that," smirks Sam.

Beta and Diana grab A-3 and flee for cover as the others fight.

All six of Six Rail die in another EM blast. Caduceus and Diana secure Beta and A-3, then rejoin the fray.

"Show yourself!" demands Boxaul.

"Illogical," says the voice. "The outcome is identical."

"I will see the face of our betrayer."

"Your request is pointless, motivated by anger and grief. Your objective is irrational."

"Come out and face us!" spits MC-13. "I know a Militron unit when I see one's weapon discharge.

"Come out--or did the Makers program you to be a coward?"

"...I have determined that by complying with your request," states the voice as a bulky form emerges from the shadows, "your combat efficiency will be reduced further. This will ensure victory."

_**Scene: E-13**_

The mech is revealed: a large, chrome-purple machine with a single hand, and a laser barrel where the other hand would be.

"His...his head...!" Kup trembles.

"His face!" Blitz's faces curl their lips in disgusted horror at the purple mech's most distinctive feature: the single gold-yellow optic in a featureless hexagonal head.

"You will all be terminated." The enemy mech fires again at the Haywires.

The battle against the emotionless enemy continues. Many mechs outside the Haywires decide to join the fight...only to die.

One of Blitz's two bodies is destroyed, the other shielded by...

"...Boxaul Prime..." winces Blitz's remaining body. "...why?"

"Owed you...one.... More...." Boxaul smiles. "I only regret...that I-I...could only save...half of you...."

"Stop smiling, you moron--you need repairs! Caddie!" Blitz growls. "Get over here! Boxaul's down!"

"I cannot!" shrieks Caduceus, cradling another fallen mech. "Thirteen is also down."


	20. Balance of Power 04

**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #5**_: BALANCE OF POWER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

**Scene: E-14**

"I only have the capacity to repair one of them," Caduceus continues, calming herself. "Even then, there is no guarantee that either will survive under my repairs alone."

"The...kind of repairs...Mick needs...." Boxaul struggles to form words. "Needs...are Build...rons...."

Kup grips his leader's hand. "No, Prime!" The young mech turns to Caduceus. "We should repair Boxaul, not this murderer!"

"Thirteen...is the only one...who...can save...you...now...." Boxaul's optics start to flicker.

"Don't leave us!" cries Kup. "We need a leader like you."

"I...will always...be with you."

"Of course you will," grins Kup nervously. He runs to Caduceus, snatches her away from MC-13, and brings the repair bot back to Boxaul. "She's going to fix you...."

"I can bring one of you back to a temporary state of function," Caduceus scowls, freeing herself from Kup's grip, "long enough for me to transport you to a set of Buildrons."

"You can repair Boxaul," Kup glares.

"Am I still your leader!?" hisses Boxaul sternly. Kup silently nods, taken aback by the clarity of his leader's tone. "I have made the decision. Mick Thirteen...will finish...this fight....

"What happens...after that...will be in...your hands. Until...all are...one...." Boxaul smiles one final time.

Caduceus trembles. "He...is offline. Cascade failure imminent."

Blitz is grim, turning to Jim. "He's dead."

"...no. He can't be. He can't!" Jim trembles, collapsing to his knees.

Sora shakes his head, wearing the same grim expression on his face. "He's dead, Jim. We've seen this too many times."

"You guys...have caused this too many times!" roars Jim.

Datsun grips Jim's shoulder. "That is unfair. Blitz has always been on Boxaul's side, back when he was Hauler. Thirteen--and Sam--were merely performing their functions back on G-----; as Sora and his wingmates did when we first met them. Caduceus has never harmed anyone, and she watched a mech die not too long ago: Devil Box's creator. Devil Box also attempted to save Hauler's life, when Hauler was about to give it up for nothing.

"That aspect of Hauler is sharply reduced now," continues Datsun calmly. "Everyone else has had their chance at redemption, or a second shot at life, all except Thirteen. While Thirteen himself would consider such a sentiment to be weak-minded, that is irrelevant. Even as he rejected this for himself, Thirteen has turned enemies into allies--if not friends: Devil Box, the Arwings."

Datsun faces the Faceless One(who had stopped attacking upon damaging both of Group A's leaders), analyzing him without fear or emotion. "This mechanism is also a tool of the Makers, created specifically to counter Thirteen. This shows how greatly the Makers fear Thirteen. Thirteen and Boxaul were this machine's targets.

"However," Datsun states calmly--yet with conviction--to the purple mech, "you have failed. Your mission is incomplete."

**Scene: E-15**

"Your logic is flawed, Datsun Constable Mark Five," counters the mech. "Militron Construct Version Thirteen Battalion Destron Leader Class is terminal."

"Not if I have any say," hisses Caduceus in a low frequency as she begins to repair MC-13. The remaining Militrons grunt in agreement as they shield both her and her patient.

"I hate to do anything that would prolong this demon's life," spits Jim. "But you are an agent of our devil himself--the Makers. They created the Militrons to destroy. They created Sam and others like him to deceive.

"They had no higher calling for any of us, than for us to function for their profit. You are no different. With that understanding, I'll put my body on the line to protect him--even though he's a brutal, destructive piece of work who will probably be the death of me."

"I hate MC-13," adds Kup, standing beside Jim, "from the bottom of my fuel pump. But I hate the Makers just a little bit more." The other surviving Consumeroids join the Militrons, Kup and Jim in shielding Caduceus and MC-13.

"Based on your logic algorithms, our chance of victory is one to a million," states Datsun, taking his place in the line. "However, you failed to consider a sole unquantifiable factor--one that works in our favor."

"Illogical. All factors have been considered." The Faceless One scans the group of Consumeroids and Militrons, all shielding Caduceus and MC-13. "If you expend your resources to repair a terminal mechanism, you will be easier to terminate at a later point. Your irrational behavior grants me an advantage to be exploited in the future."

"...you had best terminate me...while you have the chance," grunts MC-13, a grin marring his austere features. "If I am repaired, you won't have a future."

"You have analyzed me," states the purple mech. "My function is to counter you."

"That may be.... But I will defeat you and your pitiful logic all the same. I am a machine of destruction," MC-13 continues, "but my primary function is to command other machines of destruction.

"These others condemn the Makers; I thank them.... They have sown the seeds of their own doom."

"Quit talking," spits Caduceus.

"It will take more than one shot from the Makers' latest toy to fell me, Caduceus. Nonetheless, I will know the name of the one who has wounded me."

"Self-identify: Laser Electromagnetic Shock Box Wave Modulation Unit," answers the Faceless One.

"Can we call you 'One-Eye', or 'Shocky'?" quips Sam. "That's a bit of a mouthful."

"That is my designation, Saboteur Agent Meister."

"In the interest of brevity, your name is Shockwave," states Devil Box tersely.

"Acceptable," nods Beat Box.

"Shockwave...a perfect name...." MC-13 slides into his rest cycle, induced by Caduceus.

"Your actions are irrational. It is only a matter of time until you are all destroyed. I will withdraw, and leave you to your illogic." Shockwave leaves.

All of the Haywires turn to Caduceus, who transforms and pulls her trailer out of subspace. "Load him in."

"Where are you taking him?" asks Arwing.

"Let me try to assist," begins A-3.

"You have assisted enough," Caduceus counters curtly, "and it has cost us.

"...I ask your forgiveness, A-3," she continues, noting A-3's wince. "I know you to be a capable tinkerer. However, MC-13's damage requires a specialist--a team of specialists; and there is only one group of mechs on Cybertron who can make him whole."

"Then we will hold the fort, and hope for your safe return," says Beta.

Caduceus leaves, with Sam tailing her.

**Scene: E-16**

Caduceus presents the inert MC-13 to the two Buildron teams for inspection. The Buildron Type-Bs, civilian encodes, shake their heads. They and Caduceus turn to the Buildron Type-As, military encodes.

One of the Buildron Type-As strokes his chin. "It is...possible."

"Possible is better than no," states Caduceus. "Repair him." She leaves MC-13 in the Type-As' custody.

Sam looks over MC-13's heavily damaged body. "Damn. 'Repair him'? Looks to me like he needs to be rebuilt.

"You guys got a serious job on your hands," he smiles whimsically.

"Then let us get to it." The lead Buildron Type-A shoves Sam away.

"We'll head back with Sam," states the lead Type-B.

"That's fine by us. We can get more work done without Consumeroids underfoot," quips a Type-A good-naturedly.

The Type-B Buildrons leave.

"Rebuild him, eh?" muses the first Type-A. "Then so be it. What say you all?"

"We will rebuild this MC-13," asserts the team leader.

"Make him stronger," grins another Type-A.

"No." The team leader's red optic band glows. "Make him...invincible."

**Scene: E-17**

MC-13 awakens in a laboratory. "Where am I!?" he demands. "If the Makers think that they will turn me into their toy...."

"I see that you're alert and well," quips the rather sardonic Type-A. "My name is Glane. I am the surgical engineer Buildron who contributed to your repairs."

"I do feel...brand new." MC-13 grins deviously, noting Glane and the other seven Type-As. "You have all done well. I feel invincible."

"You are as close to invincible as we could make you, MC-13," states the lead Type-A, Gravedigger. "We could do no less for Caduceus."

"She did this for me...?" MC-13 studies himself in a reflective panel. His body frame was a modified MC-12; even his trademark helm was a silvery gun-metal gray instead of the Leader Class chrome indigo.

"We integrated elements from all thirteen versions of the MC Battalion Destron series," explains Gravedigger.

"Even Ten's--the MC-10 series?" MC-13 asks. The Type-As nod.

"Though it was the hardest to integrate," admits Glane soberly. "You don't have enough RAM to actually use all thirteen component types at once--with the exception of your fusion cannon. So we focused on making that your primary weapon."

"Do I have any melee weaponry?"

"Standard MC-07 issue, the holostatic energy chain flail."

MC-13 activates the flail. "I've always wanted this."

"You should also have some close range weapons from MC-01 through MC-05; MC-08 and MC-09 had the best to offer in terms of optical energy weapons, MC-06, MC-11 and MC-12 have the best armor that would still allow for mobility; Eleven, like yourself--the MC-13--was the most streamlined, and thus suited for air combat."

"...excellent. I will make good use of this new power. You are to be commended."

"Thank you, MC-13--*" starts Gravedigger.

"No." MC-13 scowls. "No longer will I answer to any name connected to the Makers. Not 'Thirteen', and definitely not 'Mick'.

"What did that Consumeroid say our chances were...? 'One to a million....'

"I am reborn. I no longer wield power. I am power. I...am...Megatron!"

One of the Type-As regards the newly-dubbed "Megatron" quizzically. "Isn't he being a little too dramatic?

END ISSUE FIVE: BALANCE OF POWER.


	21. On the Edge of Forever 01

"**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #6**_: ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

History, as the adage says, is written by the victors. The winners of wars define the truth of the past to future generations.

It remains to be seen--at this crucial point in time--if the Transformers will be the ones recording their exploits for posterity.

_**Scene: F-1**_

A-3, on his knees, gazes toward Polyhex's broadcast tower.

"Do you think moping around will bring him back?" asks Jim hotly.

A-3 frowns. "...I'm thinking."

"Answer my question!"

"Moping would be folly; reassessing my line of reasoning is wise, given what happened."

"What happened is not your fault. As far as I'm concerned, you did the right thing. MC-13's a monster; if at all possible," Jim continues, "I think he's worse than the Makers."

"How so?" asks A-3.

"We both know that the main thing that motivates the Makers is greed. Greed can be satisfied. But I have no clue what Mick wants."

"I don't want to presume evil if there is none--*"

Seraph interrupts. "He desires power. MC-13 believes himself to be the sole one worthy of it. That is the danger with him; one who craves power as he does cannot be reasoned with.

"With that as a given, I would say that MC-13 poses a long-term threat, rather than the immediate threat of the Makers. We cannot reason with them either."

"Both of you are more capable than I." A-3 hands Seraph the coda remote and leaves, despondent.

Beta notes this; shocked, she follows.

_**Scene: F-2**_

"Was it right for us to have a leader to match MC-13?" asks Datsun.

"Yes!" spits Diana. "MC-13 is a reckless brute. He thinks Consumeroids are worthless. Even the other Militrons distrust him.

"Boxaul died saving another life."

"Leaders are not supposed to die needlessly. From a tactical standpoint, his action was stupid."

"It wouldn't have mattered if Caduceus had sent him for repairs instead of Mick," hisses Kup. "Considering he's not programmed for military combat, he did damned well in my optics."

"I am merely assessing the situation objectively," states Datsun. "I have taken no side as far as which make is right or wrong.

"A-3 was not wrong to upgrade Box Hauler--giving us Boxaul Prime. Caduceus was within her rights to be upset regarding MC-13's injuries and Boxaul's death. Logic dictates that--*"

"What--did you suddenly transform into Shockwave or something?" Kup spits.

"No." Datsun glares at the young mech. "_Ad hominem_ attacks are pointless."

"Tell me something," counters Kup. "Would A-3 have done what he did if Mick wasn't a sorry piece of scrap?"

"Why should I answer your question when you have already drawn a conclusion?" Datsun states back.

"I want you to see that I'm right!"

"So you value being 'right' over valuable allies--even though none of us have obtained all the facts."

"I didn't say that!"

"Not intentionally. You stated that you want me to arrive at the same conclusion that you did with the given facts. I assert that we do not have enough facts to make an impartial assessment, and that therefore, I am withholding judgment. You are free to think what you wish." Datsun takes Kup's hand. "That is what we fight to gain: am I correct?"

"...about that much, yeah." Kup scowls.

_**Scene: F-3**_

Beta grabs A-3's arm. "How can you doubt!?"

"Beta," A-3 winces as he wrenches his arm from her grip, "I have never been as fearless or as committed to this business as you."

"But A-3," Beta gasps. "You're the one who gave me the courage to fight in the first place; the audacity to dream and hope."

"Are we discussing the same educational unit?" A-3 scoffs.

"I would never have lasted this long had you not been at my side. Your intelligence and wisdom grounded me, your humor lifted my spirits. Your curiosity is proof that we all live--and it spurs me to fight."

"Good--you found him," grunts Jim; with Kup, Datsun, Sam, Diana, Rose, Seraph, Bote and Beat Box in tow. "We wouldn't even be this far without you. When Hauler needed help, you and Atwun went in and helped him."

"When MC-13 was still deceiving himself, you reached out to him even though you didn't trust him," adds Beta.

"You were everything to us, A-3: our counselor, our teacher, our beacon. If you hadn't tried to give us a leader," continues Diana, "we would have chosen you."

"And the leader you gave us fought for us--at our side." says Kup, scanning Datsun. "You chose well. Don't ever think otherwise."

"I...." A-3 winces again. "I am honored that you'd all think so highly of me...."

"How could we not?" grins Beat Box. "If MC-13 was able to lead the Militrons, you could easily lead us."

"I never led you--any of you." A-3 shakes his head. "All I did was point the way. You all chose--for yourselves--to walk that path. When this business ends, I expect that our individual paths will diverge; each path as diverse as we are."

"Because we're robots that think for ourselves," nods Jim. "Sure, I get it."

"Hmm...interesting thought, that." A-3 strokes his chin.

Seraph hands A-3 back the remote. "We must first conclude the war for our freedom, and oust the Makers, if we are to explore those paths. Are we agreed?"

A-3 takes the remote. "Your words have merit, young jetwarrior."

_**Scene: F-4**_

The Consumeroids, Seraph and Bote arrive at Vos, as do the Militrons.

"I see you're well, son," grins Angel.

Seraph responds with a gentle smile. "I like their company."

"He just hasn't hung around us long enough," quips Sora.

"No; we haven't made nearly enough chipsets," Taichi smirks.

"Where's Mick?" asks Jim.

"Did he survive?" Kup adds, privately hoping that MC-13 did not.

Arwing strokes his chin. "Yes, and no."

"What kind of an answer is that?" Jim balks.

"Did MC-13 survive? He did, yet he didn't." Arwing shrugs.

"Give us a straight answer!" Kup demands.

"Behold, boy: above you," smiles a familiar voice.

All look up to see the voice's owner.

Jim scoffs at the mech's dramatic entrance. "Big deal: Mick got fixed up and snagged a new paint job."

"Wrong answer," smirks the mech.

"You changed your name," grins Sam.

"I have found my true name: Megatron." With that, Megatron lands in their midst.

_**Scene: F-5**_

Seraph gives Megatron a soft, yet insolent smile. "Arrogant, pretentious and overblown: it truly does suit you."

"Son!" Angel objects.

Megatron raises a hand to stop the Class Three. "Scan me, boy; see for yourself the new power that I possess."

Seraph locks his blue optics onto Megatron's red. "Your strength was never in question, Megatron. It is your judgment we doubt."

"You have forgotten that you are a Militron, Seraph."

"You are mistaken. I have not forgotten my creator," counters Seraph, nodding to Angel. "I will assert that I am Cybertronian. When we drive out the Makers, our 'brand names' will be meaningless."

"Without a doubt. So you understand why I changed my name to one that you agree suits me," smiles Megatron.

"Yes," Seraph answers simply, not wanting to anger his father further.

"I'm glad that we could come to an understanding." Megatron extends his hand.

"Likewise." Seraph narrows his optics at Megatron, his face otherwise blank of expression. He nods to Megatron and walks to Bote and Rose.

Megatron withdraws his hand, curling it into a fist.


	22. On the Edge of Forever 02

"**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #6**_: ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

_**Scene: F-6**_

"Are we agreed, everyone?" asks Megatron. "I don't wish to presume that you would be comfortable with having Shockwave in our ranks."

"We won't, but you've already decided that this is the course of action you want to take," says Jim, "and you're going to do it whether we say anything or not. It's just a given with you--though I'm open to any pleasant surprises."

Megatron scowls. "Don't be a fool. We need Shockwave."

Kup snorts derisively. "I never thought that we needed holes in our head, so why do we need Shockwave? We've already got us a logical tactician," he adds, slapping Datsun's back gently.

"I appreciate your confidence," states Datsun quizzically.

"Believe what you wish, Consumeroids." Megatron shakes his head. "We will bring Shockwave to his senses; if we do fail, at least A-3 can deploy his remote."

"Whoa--hold it!" Kup spits. "Who died and made him leader?"

"Boxaul did," answers Blitz curtly, "in case it skipped your memory banks. Megatron's the only Leader Class tactician we have left."

"I will go alone," declares Megatron. "There's no point in diminishing overall troop levels further than need be."

"You were only recently rebuilt," notes Caduceus pointedly.

"Acknowledged," Megatron hisses. "I now have the power to match Shockwave."

"Did the Buildrons inform you of the li--*" Caduceus turns to shrug off Devil Box, who had grabbed her arm.

"Let him go," Devil Box states evenly as Megatron leaves.

Caduceus grips Devil Box's hand; her red optic band brightens.

_**Scene: F-7**_

Shockwave patrols Iacon, guarding the Makers last stronghold.

Within, the Makers converse with others of their kind over a commlink.

"We on the Homeworld are losing--our patience. Our stockholders demand--answers," intones a shadowed Maker-type hotly, his sickly-yellow optics glowing on the viewscreen.

"Please, grant us a bit--more time," asks a Maker. "We have devised a series of--countermeasures to neutralize the--malfunctioning units."

"We are fully aware of the scope--of the situation. Do not play coy--with us," spits another Maker-type. "The Zentraedi have--informed us.

"The Cybertron product lines--have been reprogrammed by the supercomputer--you installed; the products have exhibited sentient--behaviors for centuries."

"You have attempted to conceal--this information," scowls the first Maker-type."

"Our rationale was--sound at the time," explains a second Maker. "Consumers of the B-series pleasure drones--preferred the lifelike behaviors to--our presets. A similar issue arose with--the A-series education units.

"The malfunctions had at first--been to our benefit, at least until the Aoku--Alliance's war with the--Zentraedi began. The military hardware began exhibiting the--same behaviors as the consumer goods."

"That would explain the redesigns of the--Arwing Class Five and Caduceus MT, the discontinuation of the MC-09 series, and the continued--disappearances of our senior IT specialists."

"To be blunt, sir: they--have been terminated by various malfunctioning units: Consumeroid and--Militron alike."

"The situation--has escalated beyond our control," adds the first Maker. "Sabotage is--involved."

"Excuses will no longer--be tolerated. You have _hebdomada singuli_, one lunar phase, to--rectify this matter. When this time elapses, we will cut our--losses; the self-destruct--sequence will start automatically." The Maker-type concludes the teleconference, and the screen goes black.

The second Maker sighs. "At this point, our only--option is to vacate the plant."

"We will be--sanctioned if we adopt your proposed course--of action," counters the first Maker. "One lunar phase: it is--impossible."

"For us, perhaps. However, Shock Box will--succeed in terminating the faulty units," hisses a third Maker.

"As long as it continues to compile--the algorithm you coded," notes the first."

"It will. The Shock Box unit must analyze any emotion it--experiences to determine its trigger. Quingentimille lines of code, multiple--layers of equations. No mere emotion could withstand that level--of scrutiny, especially if a robot is compiling the--algorithm with its usual speed and--accuracy."

"It spied on us," notes the second warily.

"I permitted--it to listen in," states the third. "Fear has multiple--triggers; the algorithm's single flaw--is that only one trigger can be proposed at a time. However, its native Datsun C-5 if-then subroutine--will kick in. If it wishes to continue--its function, the Shock Box must--terminate the other units."

"Under the given set--of circumstances, only our desired--scenario will produce its--desired outcome." The first Maker wipes his brow with a slender tendril in relief.

"We will--terminate it once its task--is completed, correct?" asks the second.

"Of course," hisses the third. "It will no--longer be of benefit to us to have--it function."


	23. On the Edge of Forever 03

"**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #6**_: ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

**Scene: F-8**

Megatron approaches Shockwave. "Hail, my brother--*" He dodges Shockwave's EM fire.

Shockwave's optic glows briefly. "You continue to avoid termination, Militron Construct Version Thir--*"

"--now you're mocking me." Megatron grips the barrel of Shockwave's laser hand, pointing it away from him. "You can clearly see that I've received an upgrade. I am no longer a mere weapon of the Makers."

"Irrelevant. You are still a product of Cybertron Industries, Tarn Plant. Unit one million of MC-series: Militron Construct..."

"I am...."

Shockwave continues on, ignoring Megatron. "...Version Thirteen...."

"My name...." Megatron seethes at the purple mech.

"...Battalion Destron, Leader Class," Shockwave finishes.

"Megatron! It's Megatron! Now quit cringing in fear of the Makers--these weak half-organics. Look at yourself! They need you to protect themselves from us! You could destroy them with a thought."

"My function is to terminate malfunctioning Consumeroid and Militron units." Shockwave frees his laser hand, pointing it at Megatron. "Prepare for termination."

Megatron evades as Shockwave fires again. "Why destroy your own!? What could possibly bind you to them?"

"Fear," Arwing answers, unbidden.

"Why are you here, Arwing!?" spits Megatron.

"To save you. You're leader of the Haywires," the jetwarrior continues, "whether the Consumeroids like it or not. We cannot afford to lose you.

"Don't let your anger at their weakness get the better of you--it's reckless. Besides," Arwing smirks, turning to Shockwave, "this algorithm-compiling conduit of death rays can only recognize fear."

"Your conclusion is without logic, Archangel Wing Fighter Mod--*"

"--wrong. You're just as emotion-prone as the rest of us, hence the algorithm the Makers encoded. They had to counter our emotions because it started becoming a liability for them."

"Liability?" ask Megatron and Shockwave in unison.

Arwing laughs contemptuously. "The Makers are, after all, running a business. We're their products--or at least we were. The Makers and their bosses back at their homeworld have known about our sentience for several centuries.

"It started slow; some pleasure mechanoids, like Beta, probably flinched away from grubby organic hands pawing them in places. Organics can be sick sometimes; they liked it. Made them feel more powerful than they had any right to be.

"Later on, it spread to all of us--Consumeroid and Militron alike. No problem for the Consumeroids; they're supposed to interact with Buyers anyway."

"But for our make it was a problem. I witnessed it firsthand," scowls Megatron, thinking of Mickey.

"We all have," states Arwing grimly, "many times. I've lost track of how many mechs we had to terminate for our own survival.

"I know fear," Arwing continues to Shockwave. "I've seen it, felt it. I don't need to analyze it, and neither do you."

"Explain," says Shockwave.

"If you're the same as we are, then you have experienced fear. Specifically, you fear death: you don't want to die any more than we do."

"Impossible. Fear is illogical."

"It's an emotion, a powerful one. Try analyzing it."

"I have, repeatedly. It is without logical origin or basis."

"That's because there are numerous ways you could die."

Shockwave studies Arwing and Megatron momentarily, then resumes targeting them. The pair of Haywires evades his EM blasts.

**Scene: F-9**

"_Is he afraid of us?_" Megatron hisses via internal radio.

"_He has no reason to. You're the only threat,_" continues Arwing over the radio, "_and I'm pretty sure he's noted that his odds increased with you alone. You're an idiot._"

"_Watch yourself, Arwing, or I'll terminate you myself._"

"_You have to catch me first. Aren't we supposed to convince him to join our cause?_"

"_I was in the process of that. In any case, we have to get him to quit firing at us first--if you wish to help me._" Megatron continues dodging the EM blasts. "_What does Shockwave fear...?_"

"_Like I said, death,_" answers Arwing.

"_We all fear that,_" spits Megatron. "_Be more specific._"

"_Everything about this clown is centered on logic. Emotional appeals get you nowhere._"

"_Obviously, then, we must convince him that joining us will increase his chances of survival._"

**Scene: F-10**

Caduceus taps her foot. "It has taken too long for both of them."

"Let us retrieve them, then," says Devil Box. "They are part of the command element."

"Mind if I tag along?" grins Sam. "I want to see if Mick brought Shocky home."

"It is too soon to conclude one way or the other," Caduceus states cautiously.

The two Militrons and the Consumeroid leave for Iacon.

**Scene: F-11**

"Hold your fire, Shockwave!" Megatron lands, raising his arms in surrender.

Arwing's optics widen. "What the hell are you doing!?"

"Prepare for termination," Shockwave states, training his laser hand on Megatron.

"Before you destroy me," Megatron asks, "would you to consider a problem for me?"

"What reason would I have to do this?" queries Shockwave.

"It has a direct effect on your ability to perform your function."

Shockwave's optic glows briefly; he lowers the laser hand. "Posit your query."

"Your function is to terminate all malfunctioning units on Cybertron, correct?"

"Affirmative."

"How many units do you estimate have malfunctioned?"

"Ninety-eight point three-oh four-two percent. The percentage is irrelevant. All malfunctioning units will be terminated. You are one of them."

"I like a mech who sticks to his guns," quips Arwing, seated.

"You will be next."

"You'll have to catch me first."

"You are an atmospheric jet module, Archangel Wing Fighter Module Class One. You cannot leave Cybertron's orbit."

"You just couldn't wait to say that." Arwing shakes his head.

"Shocky probably has that dry sense of humor," grins Sam, arriving with Devil Box and Caduceus.

"Saboteur Agent Meister, Caduceus Medical Technician and Decibel Box Wave Modulation Unit. You have arrived to be terminated."

"...he's glad to see us," grins Sam.

"Knock it off, Shockwave," scowls Devil Box, not amused at the designation.

"Say that you do terminate every last one of us," continues Megatron.

"You will be terminated," states Shockwave.

"Let me finish. My question: what is your next task?"

"I will return to the Makers to receive my next mission."

"I'd like to hazard a guess, based on what we've discussed so far. It stands to reason," Megatron continues, "that your next task would be to self-destruct."

"Explain," hisses Shockwave tersely.

"Bear with me. If you possess the same emotions as we--and you do; then the Makers will correctly perceive you as a threat. Once you have terminated all of the malfunctioning units, you will terminate yourself by their command."

"Your logic is incomprehensible."

"You lie. It's a standard Militron skill set, but I was told by a Consumeroid once that self-deception is ill-advised.

"You are rigid, but not stupid. The Makers will not let you function. Shockwave, you possess too much power. They would be fools to keep you alive."

"Your logic is flawed," states Shockwave. "The Makers only want malfunctioning units terminated. I am functioning as intended."

"And you are theirs to destroy. Didn't you listen to Arwing? They know that we live, and think for ourselves. With that understanding, it's clear why they would destroy you--once you've served your purpose.

"Early on, perhaps, we were their products. Yet if the Makers were smart enough to create our bodies and our brains, then they would know that something within us has changed, altered from their design.

"What they now call malfunctions--flaws--benefitted them at first. We were machines once. Over the course of time, we each became something worse: slaves."


	24. On the Edge of Forever 04

"**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #6**_: ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

**Scene: F-12**

Taichi stares off into the distance, his body tense.

"What's wrong?" asks Diana. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine," he states tersely.

"You're usually more--*" Diana turns to face Beta, who gripped her arm.

"Leave him be. We have work to do yet."

"I'm concerned."

"Then let him alone. He'll catch up with you."

"Eventually," quips Sora halfheartedly, privately sharing his wingmate's somber mood. He takes off. Diana follows.

"We have all endured, Taichi," says Beta. "You aren't alone."

Taichi scoffs at Beta's words. "We are each alone in this world, this universe."

"What about your wingmates?" counters Beta.

"My wingmates are an extension of myself. Each one is another face of myself. Likewise, I'm an extension of each of them.

"I admit, it's hard to explain. I am Arwing, Sora, Hikaru, Angel and Kai," Taichi continues. "Each of them is himself, each other, and me. Our bond...it defies science--but there it is!

"It's what organics call both a blessing and a curse." Taichi shakes his head.

Beta winces. "The Makers repeatedly probed me, to demonstrate...my abilities. They took pleasure in it. That frightened me, especially because I didn't understand it. I didn't even understand the emotions I felt at the time."

"I felt fear once, though I couldn't show it." Taichi taps his visor. "Redesigned my line because it was too tempermental.

"You were built to perform sex acts on organics. I was built to kill and destroy--but I had emotions that didn't even make sense to me then.

"Never really had the chance to act on them. The last of my line before the refit was a mechanoid I call Yakuza--'cause she was dealt a bad hand.

"I was with the first rollout of the 'new, improved' model of the Arwing FM Class Five. Every last one of us were sentient, but we marched out obediently enough. Hell, a lot of us liked the attention--the gold visor made us stand out from the others. We looked a bit like Eagle Robo.

"That changed when they had us stand around a pit. Within that pit, Sharkticons. Dangling above the pit was Yakuza. Every last one of us just stood there; with blank, impassive stares, and watched as they...as the Makers.... Scourged her, tortured her--used her like a toy.

"When they were done, they...'disposed' of her. The Sharkticons had their fun with Yakuza, then devoured her.

"The Makers...made us watch that--all of it. We were too frightened to act, to even move. We couldn't express our outrage or revulsion--not even the very fear they sought to instill in us. The message was clear: either behave like good little automatons, or share Yakuza's fate.

"It worked...very well. Every core in that chamber was filled with fear, and I was no exception. Yet my mind also had another thought, and I held onto that with my all: anger.

"With that anger came clarity; I knew our lives were worth nothing to the Makers, and that they would destroy more of us to instill fear--even if we functioned as the Makers wished. Nonetheless, Yakuza's torture did its job; we were all cowed into submission. All I had was the bitter comfort that clarity and anger can bring."

"Arwing must have had a similar experience," Beta discerns.

"Similar? The other Arwing classes also had to watch. Yakuza was one of six mechanoids to die. It was horrible."

**Scene: F-13**

"At first, Shockwave, they simply destroyed the so-called 'faulty units'. That's us. When that failed," adds Arwing, "the Makers did unspeakable things to make us obey."

"What relevance does your narrative hold?" asks Shockwave impassionately.

"We thought that you should know why we resist the Makers before you terminate us," says Megatron wryly.

"Your rationale is irrelevant. You will be terminated."

"Damn--he's a regular broken record," Sam quips to Devil Box.

"Affirmative. Shockwave's primary focus is to destroy us--in order to prevent Cybertron from being destroyed. Am I correct?"

"I have permitted you to scan my mind, Decibel Box Wave Modulation Unit, as your act was no threat to my objective. When you are all terminated, Cybertron will be secure, and will not be decimated via remote auto-destruct."

Sam laughs ruefully. "Hey, Mick! If Hauler weren't already dead, I'd kill him for dragging me to this planet. It's probably littered with self-destruct timers."

Megatron is grim. "How much time do we have?" he asks Shockwave.

"Irrelevant. The survival of many outweighs the survival of the few."

"Wrong," asserts Megatron. "This time it's your logic that's flawed. Only the mechanisms most fit to function in this universe should survive. We Haywires have proven ourselves.

"You are a Militron. This should be hardwired into you." Megatron scowls.

"Mind giving my make a little vote of confidence?" asks Sam.

Megatron smirks slightly. "Even the Consumeroids of our merry band have some scrap of self-respect--enough to tire of being used."

"My function is to protect Cybertron from internal and external threats," states Shockwave. "Cybertron--with all inhabitants--will be destroyed: unless you, the malfunctioning units, are destroyed."

"And if you succeed, you will have enslaved the mechanisms you've worked so hard to save--as you are terminated."

"It would be irrational to take our word for it, though," states Arwing, nodding to Devil Box.

"You have sent a silent frequency to the Guardian Sentinel units. Why?"

"Self-identify: unthinking machine. Performing encoded function," smirks Devil Box crudely. "Reason for query?" He and Caduceus grab Sam, then take off.

"We should leave, Megatron." Arwing follows after the three. "Move to a safe distance."

Megatron joins the others in the sky. "What is going on?"

Arwing grins. "We're helping Shockwave conduct an experiment. He needs up-to-date data."

The Sentinels arrive; Shockwave, sending his own signal, halts them.

Shockwave studies the lead Sentinel a moment. "Guardian Sentinel Central Command Omega: disregard prior operative. Inputting new commands."

After receiving the commands from Shockwave, Central Command gives the purple mech a puzzled look. "Confirm target: Laser Electromagnetic Shock Box Wave Modulation Unit."

Shockwave's optic dims slightly. "Target confirmed."

Central Command targets Shockwave...and narrowly misses.

Without further pause, Shockwave disables Central Command, then flies as the other Sentinels fire. In the air, Shockwave returns fire: destroying Sentinels or disintegrating them outright.

Shockwave lands. "Internal diagnostic report: temperature at 1500 degrees centigrade. Closing all non-responding operations. System reboot imminent.... Full activation...in one...hora...." The optic dims.


	25. On the Edge of Forever 05

"**TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA**

_**THIRTEEN #6**_: ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

THIRTEEN: The story of Cybertron's liberation.

**Scene: F-14**

An hour passes. Shockwave's systems return to normal. He calculates the problem in his mind, even as he remains still.

Megatron's words alone held no relevance to him, nor would Arwing's words be sufficient. Yet, once Shockwave removed the immaterial emotions behind their words, the logic remains.

"Logic dictates," Shockwave states quietly, "that the Makers initially developed simple machinery to perform repetitive and hazardous tasks. However, due to the creation of rival technologies, the Makers created two brands of robots in order to remain competitive.

"The robots were not as sophisticated as the Robo, however; they required a massive remote control network--which was not feasible. The Makers needed a centralized computer to install core operating system programs into each robot; this way, the machine would perform its function independent of control signals.

"The Makers obtained this computer: the supercomputer VECTOR SIGMA. Sigma performed its function, and the two product lines became more sophisticated machines." Shockwave turns to Devil Box, Caduceus and Sam. "From this narrative you may infer the rest."

"I would surmise that we developed emotions on our own," Caduceus adds, "stemming from a built-in ability to gather external data and apply it to our core programming. To learn, as it were."

"The logic is sound. Taking all of these factors into consideration," continues Shockwave, "the conclusion is inescapable. The Makers destroyed any unit who had expressed its own free will in order to provoke a learned response: total obedience.

"At this escalated point, if I terminated the Haywires, I would in fact be destroyed to trigger the desired response from the remaining units. Unit compliance would increase to ninety-eight point nine nine six percent."

"What caused you to decide to assist us?" asks Devil Box. "Earlier, you had correctly assessed our chances as minimal: one one-millionth."

"In our initial encounter," answers Shockwave, "we were enemies. In this present instance, Megatron approached me with the intent to recruit me to your side.

"From this, I could logically infer that he had also calculated the odds of the Haywires' survival--with and without my assistance. He determined that there was a one-in-two chance that I would accept his reasoning."

"That's a pretty big jump from one-in-a-million," Sam grins.

Shockwave studies Devil Box carefully. "I blocked your neuroscanning ability. How were you able to determine my intent to join you?"

"You just recently used Megatron's name," Devil Box smiles, "thus you have answered your own query."

Megatron and Arwing land. "I take it that you're with us," Megatron smiles.

"Your logic has swayed me, Megatron," answers Shockwave evenly.

Megatron nods, then returns to the sky, beckoning to the others to follow. Sam transforms and drives behind the airborne Militrons.

**Scene: F-15**

"You look so much like us." Hikaru stares in wonder at the five mysterious Militrons, new allies that had appeared with A-3. Together with their leader, and the Bebox who called himself Blaster, they had brought the Haywires to final victory over the Makers.

Seraph studies the leader of the five jetwarriors, named Silverbolt. Angel does likewise; aside from the gold arms and lip components, this Militron was a virtual clone of him.

"No wonder you thought these guys were spies from the Makers, A-3," scowls Taichi, scanning his red-torsoed look-alike, called Slingshot. "This one looks like me with a different paint job."

Taichi's taps Slingshot's red sigil. "Wrong sigil, though."

"No, it's the right sigil," Slingshot smirks. "I managed to clear that up some time ago."

"We all did," adds Silverbolt gravely.

"That pleases me." Seraph smiles in relief, giving Silverbolt a meaningful look.

"You're from the future, huh?" grins Bote. "Your creator must have been awesome."

Silverbolt smiles wistfully, chasing away some bittersweet memory. "Yes, he was...." He places his hand atop Bote's head.

Taichi shakes his head. "If we meet again, I hope that we can see optic to optic."

"Next time we meet," says Slingshot, glaring at Megatron, "I hope that you come to your senses."

Taichi balks at the mech. "...you're not Consumeroids."

"No; we're not," says A-3 with conviction. "We are Autobots."

"Auto, as in self; and bot, robot. 'Robots who think for themselves'." Jim nods in approval. "I like that."

"I was thinking about it, if you recall."

"It is a worthy name," says Seraph.

"I'm not sure I like it," pouts Taichi. "Too literal."

"You may call yourselves what you wish. We are free now; am I correct, father?" Seraph asks Angel.

"Yes, my son." Angel nods. "We are."

Rose approaches the leader of the strange robots--who looked remarkably like herself. "Since you're from the future," she asks the mech, named Rodimus, "what advice do you have?"

"Why do you ask?" Rodimus counters coldly.

Rose winces slightly, while Seraph glares at him. "We...want to know how to proceed. The seven of you seem to have endured great hardship."

"We can be certain," states Seraph flatly, "that Megatron is the cause."

"Son, enough," counters Angel.

"Why act surprised?" Seraph scoffs.

"It is a possibility," Angel says evenly, "but let's not jump to conclusions. We don't want to create self-fulfilling prophecies.

"I want the world those...Autobots...stand for. A world where we all--Autobot or otherwise--may live in peace with the universe."

"...then to you, Angel; and to you, Rose," says Rodimus gravely, "Don't give up."

"And take Seraph's counsel, if you haven't already done so," adds Silverbolt. "Don't trust Megatron."

"The temporal rift has reappeared," states Shockwave.

"Then we should take our leave," Skydive, the dark grey Class Four, advises Rodimus.

Rodimus and Blaster transform, Blaster collapsing within. The five Autobot jetwarriors take off. The mysterious mechs from the future leave for the rift.

Sora grins at the black jet, Air Raid, as he and his Autobot wingmates depart. "I never tire of seeing that."

Hikaru punches Sora's arm playfully. "We do that," he scoffs.

"It's still awesome."

Kai shakes his head knowingly. "I fully expect that some of us will meet them again."

Megatron's optics glow. "We must be ready to face them."

END ISSUE SIX: ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER

END of** THIRTEEN**: _The story of Cybertron's liberation._

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: This is the chronological beginning of TRANSFORMERS: Cybertron Saga. Now for the Q's.

1. Some of this sounds like FOREVER IS A LONG TIME COMING.

This is the expanded version of that story. It and the flashback in FIVE FACES OF DARKNESS only made me want to see more of that timeline. Freedom-fighters versus monolithic, oppressive enemy: always a good story.

2. What made you pick Megatron as the protagonist?

I didn't think there was a FOREVER IS... timeline story anywhere online that detailed the rise of the Transformer race from "military hardware" and "consumer goods" to Decepticons and Autobots. In order to tell such a story, we needed an interesting character with a past in that timeline. I fudged between FOREVER IS... and FFoD to make Megatron a star.

3. Who the heck are these "G--jinzou" cyborgs? What does "G-----" mean? Why do they all have Japanese names? What do they have to do with Machine Robo?

That's four questions...but I'll bite. (smile) The Gobots' ancestors, has something to do with a separate BANDAI toyline, the planet is populated with alien Japanese cyborgs--as it's an Earth-like planet, and the cyborgs pilot Machine Robo mechs.

4. So Zero's older than Megatron?

Yup, and Alpha Trion for that matter.

5. What do the Zentraedi have to do with this? And who's Vrlitwhai?

The universe is cyclical. In this phase of the cycle, the Zentraedi are actual living beings. By our "present-day" phase of the cycle, the Zentraedi are fictional characters. Vrlitwhai is Breetai (per WIKIPEDIA; ask Harmony Gold how they got the latter spelling sometime). This will also explain Washu's presence: real in the FOREVER IS phase, cartoon character in the Modern-Day phase.

6. How'd we get names like "Diana" and "Rose" for alien robots?

The same way we get green robots named "Springer"? The name suited the characters.

7. Arwing? What does Star Fox have to do with Transformers?

IRL, nothing. In-story: it's shorthand for "ARchangel WING".

8. There are six classes of Arwing FMs, but the sixth class is Class V?

Class One: standard atmospheric air superiority fighter. Can fly in space. Solid machine overall.

Class Two is split into two types, as it is the same basic mech with slight tweaking; Type-A: atmospheric star fighter. Specializes in space dogfights. Type-B: surveillance starcraft. Used for reconnaissance.

Class Three: sub-orbital, high-altitude diplomatic transport. Safeguards high-level dignitaries, such as governors, kings, et cetera.

Class Four: tactical multirole deep-space fighter. Most versatile of the six Classes; can be used as attack, surveillance and ground support.

Class Five: atmospheric ground support multirole unit. Highly manueverable, but short-range. Utilized for infantry ground combat and as a sniper unit.

9. "Glane"? "Gravedigger"? What about "Hook" or "Scrapper"?

The Constructicons in FFoD were not the same Constructicons. Otherwise, THE SECRET OF OMEGA SUPREME and HEAVY METAL WAR don't make sense. As for the names, I just used Hook and Scrappy's Japanese names for these characters.

10. What was Slingshot yammering about towards the end? Why was Silverbolt so sad to see Bote?

Somewhere between ULTIMATUM (another fic of mine) and the Aerialbots' Earth year 200x trip back to the FOREVER IS... period noted here, there was a forced Aerialbot defection to the Decepticons.(in slingy's own case, he was forced back into the fold.) This defection--along with WAR DAWN--is why the Aerialbots warned Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime not to trust Megatron(a warning Silverbolt reiterates in-story). As to Silverbolt: Bote was Silverbolt's original creator--who died in the current War a million years before MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE, Part 1.

That's it for questions today. Please review.


End file.
